Umbilical cord blood donation may spare critically-ill patients the agony of leukemia, lymphoma, and additionally 50+ ailments. Moral issues do no arise from cord blood donations. Unlike embryonic stem cell research, these stem-cell come from the umbilical cord, and this cord is normally just thrown away as biomedical waste.
Cord blood donation demands advance preparation, and the OB Doctor must act immediately after the umbilical cord is clamped and cut. Luckily, the donated blood is not taken until after it is away from both mother and baby, so there's no risk of discomfort. However, unless you have made proper arrangements with the Doctor, this blood is not taken, and it simply becomes medical waste.
Umbilical cord blood contains stem cells that can be made into various types of healthy tissue. That tissue possibly can be used to treat leukemia and other cancers, sickle cell, brain tumors, osteoporosis, and other life threatening diseases. Currently, stem cells are being researched as a possible method to treat Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and diabetes.
The cord blood is also screened for certain types of dispositions and diseases. Even if the cord blood is not selected as eligible to go to another person, many times it will still be used in medical research.
The time of birth can now be seen as a celebration for two reasons. Not only is there a new life in the world, that life can help save the life of another person, just by donating umbilical cord blood that would otherwise be cast away. Now is the time to take action. If you are expecting a child, please ask yourself, can you donate their umbilical cord blood?
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