Learn you should save your cord blood

During pregnancy the baby gets all the nutrients through the umbilical cord that is attached to the mother by the placenta.  At the time of birth, the placenta detaches and is labored out after the baby is born.

Normally the placenta and all remnants of the birth are discarded as medical waste.  However, you can make the decision to save cord blood.

When you save cord blood you decide you want to bank this blood for the future for use by one of your children in the event there is debilitating disease or injury.  The reason parents would save cord blood vary by personal situation.  It could act as an insurance policy for treatment if genetic or blood disease run in the family.  

A soft tissue injury could call for treatment by stem cells and if you did save cord blood, then you have a much quicker option than waiting on the donor list.  Some parents may think it is too expensive to save cord blood, but that is not really true.  Considering these banks save cord blood for decades, the price is pretty reasonable and there are many options available.  

To save cord blood or not is a personal decision, but one that should be considered.  There is the option to donate cord blood which would potentially save someone's life who needs a stem cell transplant and is waiting.  Donating cord blood is a great way of doing something small that can make a huge difference.  If a parent decides to save cord blood then it is important to research as many companies and options as possible in order to make the right choice for their families needs.