Umbilical cord blood resources

Umbilical cord blood is known to be the most important and amazing source of stem cells, helping not only in the cord blood research, but also in the medical field for different treatments of the patients who suffer from life-threatening diseases. Therefore, umbilical cord blood is important information for all people, as may donate this usually thrown away cord after delivery or may store it for the sake of the baby or the whole family. Some families collect and store their baby's umbilical cord blood for a member of the family who is already in need of a cord blood transplant, taking into account, of course, what future may bring if paying attention to their family health history. In this sense, choosing a proper umbilical cord blood bank is a highly important issue, as even the simple choice between public and private cord blood banks may seem a problem. From another point of view, private umbilical cord blood bank should be chosen with great care, taking into account all relevant aspects of its activity, accreditation, relations and partnership with hospitals and institutions with cord blood programs and research.

Moreover, the umbilical cord blood gas may be analyzed in order to exclude the risk of birth asphyxia in almost all the cases of depression of the newborns. Complete report of the umbilical cord blood gas may provide useful information about the cause and type of academia. There are factors that may influence umbilical cord blood gas during pregnancy, labor and delivery. Umbilical cord blood gas analysis should be introduced as a routine activity for finding out the uteroplacental function. In many cases the umbilical cord blood gas analysis may provide the necessary information about the fetal oxygenation and acid base status at birth.

After the collection, shipping and handling, testing and processing the storage process of the cord blood begin with freezing the umbilical cord blood in special freezers. The temperature of the freezing umbilical cord blood is controlled and monitored with great care both by special monitors and by well-trained technologists. The freezing umbilical cord blood is usually held in cryovials or special bags, but the recommended way of cryopreservation is in the cryovials. Except the fact that the freezing umbilical cord blood may be separated in several cryovials and used several times, the cryovials present more security and safety during the long-term storage. The umbilical cord blood freezing should be a slow process, being the guarantee of the viability and integrity of cord blood stem cells after long-term cryopreservation. This may be a question to ask while choosing the most respectable and safe umbilical cord blood bank, as freezing umbilical cord blood sample too quickly may damage the quality of the umbilical cord blood stem cells. Another important aspect about freezing umbilical cord blood is about the freezers that should have continuous rate of monitoring the freezing temperature with special back-up batteries and highly trained technologists for the proper cryopreservation.

Donating umbilical cord blood should be a usual option for those who don't feel the need of storing their baby's umbilical cord blood or simply don't have the money for the costs involved in collection, testing and storing it. There are various national programs for informing the population about the importance of the umbilical cord blood and about the possibility of donating it. Donating umbilical cord blood may help many people releasing their sufferings and pains, contributing to their health process. Too many people are not aware of the fact that donating umbilical cord blood may improve and, in many cases, may change many lives. Even if the donation of the umbilical cord blood after testing and processing will not be found proper for the umbilical cord blood transplants or a match for a patient will not be found, then the donating umbilical cord blood may be used in the research. Due to the umbilical cord blood research the umbilical cord blood transplants, umbilical cord blood stem cell therapy and cord blood stem cell disease therapy are possible. Donating umbilical cord blood may contribute to the research for treatment of different types of cancers, Alzheimer's and Parkinson diseases, immune system problems, malignancies, paralysis and even AIDS. Moreover, donation of umbilical cord blood represents hope, as almost 70 % of the patients who can be saved cannot find their match in the case of bone marrow transplants, match that can be more easily found in the case of the umbilical cord blood transplant.

Umbilical cord blood is the continuous source of inspiration in treatment of the life-threatening diseases. Together with the technological development the reparative or regenerative medicine may develop, using the most miraculous source of stem cells form the umbilical cord blood for saving and changing lives is a reality worth considering.