As new parents, there are few things you need to explore before you being your journey of parents or even before you deliver the little one. If you are an expecting mother, you would have observed posters around you in your gynecologist’s clinic about saving some ‘cells’ from your umbilical cord for your baby’s future medical needs. You may have wondered what this idea looks like; it is straight out of a medical fiction movie and would have brushed it aside. Well, it’s time to rethink your decision! Stem cell banking is becoming increasingly popular in today’s world, with more and more new parents subscribing to the idea of preserving them for the child’s future needs. Started as a very abstract idea a few years ago, stem cell preservation has gained significant impetus over the years, with more scientific studies backing its efficacy as a treatment option. Let’s look at some of the things you must know about this technology to make a fair and informed decision. Most of the maternity hospitals in Bangalore have the facility.
Due to the ability to repair and replace, these stem cells are majorly explored in the areas of regenerative medicine. In the case of bone marrow disorders, stems cells have proven to have cured about 80% of the low to mild cases. Stem cell samples of a child can have up to 75% chances of matching with the sibling, and in the case where the sample of that child is not preserved, these stem cells can be used for his/her treatment after obtaining consent from the parents. Apart from private stem cell banks, there are public banks that source stem cells from donors and use them on patients with a certain degree of matching with the cells. There is a huge gap between the demand and supply in such public banks due to a mismatch with the patient prototype. This further reinforces that it is better to save these cells for private and public use if there is an opportunity.
Some many diseases and illnesses are spreading out there, and stem cells can act as saviors. These cells can be culturally used to identify the anti-bodies that will act the best for a person because more and more people are preserving their stem cells. A maternity hospital in Gurgaon has started educating its customer about the importance of stem cell banking and is making preservation happen through parents’ consent.
