Cord blood banking has become a very favorable medical service in the 21st century. This is most true for parents who want the best for their babies, even before they are born. All around the world, the said practice has gained the approval of scientists and medical practitioners. Below are some of the notable reasons why.

There are a myriad of benefits that can be attained from cord blood banking. Like bone marrow, cord blood is also rich in stem cells that can help rejuvenate and restore body cells that have been damaged by life-threatening conditions. However, cord blood is a better alternative because harvesting stem cells from it is easier and more convenient. Harvesting bone marrow on the other hand is very painful and difficult.

In addition to the aforementioned drawbacks, finding the right donor for bone marrow transfusions can be a very complicated process. Even though the said medical practice has been used for quite some time, it is still not perfected and there are many loopholes that need to be addressed.

With regards to cord blood transfusions, research and practices are advancing at extremely rapid rates and researchers are discovering new uses on a regular basis.

The process of harvesting cord blood is very easy. But before anything else, expectant parents need to make arrangements with their chosen cord blood banking facility six to eight weeks before the baby is due. Interested parents can look at two possible options.

The first option is a public cord blood bank and the second is a private cord blood bank. Public cord blood banking facilities store cord blood for the use of the general public while private banks store the said blood for the exclusive use of their clients. Public cord blood banking facilities offer their services for free while the latter charges appropriately high rates.

In the United States, the government oversees the mentioned establishments through the Health Resources and Services Administration. They are very strict when it comes to regulating both public and private cord blood banking facilities; such as, potential clients can make sure that the cord blood will be used for the specific purpose it was put into the bank.

Those who will opt for private cord blood banking should be prepared to spend huge amounts of money for the said procedure. However, it is a valuable act that should be considered by soon-to-be parents. Anything that can help treat serious ailments is something that is worth saving, especially nowadays where the number of ailments that can be developed has risen dramatically.

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