After nine months of anticipation, when parents finally welcome their new baby, they might focus on counting her tiny fingers and toes, without realizing that something precious is about to be thrown away…something someone who needs a stem cell transplant could be counting on.
July is National Cord Blood Awareness Month.
The blood that remains in the umbilical cord after a baby is born is full of adult stem cells, similar to those found in bone marrow. These blood-forming stem cells create all of a person's blood cells: red cells that carry oxygen, white cells that fight disease, and platelets that help blood clot. It is because of this multipurpose functionality that cord blood is capable of treating more than 80 different diseases, and has saved thousands of lives. Cord blood stem cells are collected after the birth of a healthy infant, and pose no risk to the donating mother or baby.
While there are companies who will store your baby’s cord blood for you, they often charge substantial fees. There are no costs for families who want to donate their baby’s cord blood. When a donation is made to a public cord blood bank, such as the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank, the cord blood is donated with the hope it can help someone else in need. The blood is listed with registries where it can be matched with people, anywhere in the world. Both Southeast Hospital and Saint Francis Medical Center are participating hospitals with the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank.
Resources:
St. Louis Cord Blood Bank
March of Dimes
