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| Cord Blood Accreditation |
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Thursday, January 10, 2008
You would be forgiven for thinking that all of the organizations offer the same things, but some companies offer more than other companies. There are a number of things you should consider before making the all-important final decision; these factors include accreditation, experience, knowledge and financial security. This choice, though, is one pro of stem cells and the research being conducted on them. When you begin to compare cord blood banks one of the first things you may notice is that some of them are accredited while others are not. Accreditation is voluntary but being accredited by the AABB means that the company you are considering has high standards with regards to most of the factors you will look at yourself. Experience. The use of stem cell transplants is quite a new technique, however, successful cord blood transfusions have taken place and this means that there are organizations that have successfully stored and eventually used the cord blood in question. It may seem unfair to judge a company just because they haven't had the opportunity to prove that there systems, technique and facilities are up to scratch but the fact remains that if your child needs the use of their cord blood in ten years time you want to be absolutely certain that the company you have entrusted with this will be able to unfreeze the blood and find that it has retained it's potency. Some of the well established companies have 100% success rates with tens of previous cases. This is a statistic not be taken lightly. Knowledge. One factor that you might overlook when trying to compare cord blood banks is whether the company in question dedicate any or enough money to funding further research. In the case of many banks, funding is primarily used to research advances in storage techniques and the techniques in which the blood is transported and prepared for use. If a company does not invest enough money in this then they will eventually be left behind by the companies that do. Inevitably it is you, or indeed your children, who will suffer the consequences. Financial security. When investing time, money or your children's cord blood in a company it is important that that company will still be in operation should the day arrive when you need the blood in question. If a company fails financially while your baby's blood is stored in their facility then there is a reasonable chance that you will not be able to do anything about moving the blood. Once cord blood goes into storage it should not be removed and transported from location to location if it is at all possible to avoid this. You will be storing the umbilical cord blood for up to 15 years, and that's only presuming that no further advances are made, so you need to be as sure as possible that the company will still be in operation in 15 years time. By selecting a company that is affiliated to a large hospital or other organization you can afford yourself greater peace of mind that they will indeed still be around when the time comes to use the blood you have in storage. Many major hospitals do affiliate with some of the more famous and well established cord blood banks and for true peace of mind you should consider using one of these companies. This also offers you the benefit that that hospital in question will be willing to undertake a transfusion using that blood. Donating cord blood. Of course, money plays a part in any major decision of this kind and, unfortunately, it isn't always possible to pick the company you would ideally settle on in other circumstances. In fact, the cost may add up to prove to be more than you can afford. In which case, you should not feel guilty about it, but you should instead consider donating the cord blood. For more information, visit cord blood banking Process of Storing Cord Blood The benefits of storing your child's cord blood are well documented and the cord blood registry is one of the most widely recognized names that specialize in this procedure. Storing cord blood can provide your child with much needed blood stem cells that can be transplanted to help in the cure for many different diseases and the cord blood registry is a company that has stored cord blood for thousands of parents already as well as providing caregivers with exceptional research and educational material. Collecting cord blood has no dangers associated with it for either the baby or the mother and provides you with a source of valuable stem cells not only for your baby but also for the rest of your family. The process is a simple one that needs to be completed within a few minutes of birth. The umbilical cord is cut and then using a syringe the blood is removed. An alternative method is to elevate the umbilical cord and allow the cord blood to drain into a bag. Both ways are equally effective and the method used will usually depend on the caregiver responsible. The cord blood registry use only caregivers who understand the procedure and they are provided with training and educational material (including umbilical cord cutting how to pictures) to help them learn the technique. Lawrence Goldstein & stem cells. A large number of physicians advise the procedure of cord blood banking to help children in the future when required. Lawrence Goldstein & stem cells go hand in hand, he is considered one of the leading experts in the field of stem cell research and is a strong advocate of cord blood banking. Storing your child's cord blood with the Cord Blood Registry. Using the Cord Blood Registry to store your child's cord blood means you are using the most experienced blood bank. One of the concerns of many who are skeptical about the viability of cord blood banking is that the stem cells will not be viable when thawed. However, the Cord Blood Registry has had 40 samples of their blood used in transplants and they have a 100% success rate with providing viable blood once thawed. Giving physicians the choice. The Cord Blood Registry was the first bank that actually allowed physicians and caregivers to select the collection method they are most happy with. This means that they are not pushed into using a syringe or collecting the blood in a bag and can, instead, go with whichever method they prefer. In fact, the Cord Blood Registry offer syringes and bags that are fully sterile and are sent directly to the physicians. Storage of the blood. Once the blood is collected it is then stored in a unique cryogenic storage unit. The cryovials are double stored. This storage technique allows for the experts to ensure that the concentration of stem cells is optimized as far as possible. The blood is transferred in one trip from hospital to storage facility and if the need ever arises for the blood to be used it will be transported in one journey to the location of the transplant. For more information visit cord blood registry Bathing A Newborn Baby Do you want your baby handed to you immediately after the birth or should he be cleaned first? In recent years most babies were wiped down with a towel immediately after birth before mum or dad got a chance to hold them. Nowadays choice is the keyword! It's your decision. Research shows that the greasy film covering your baby, vernix, is a wonderful source of moisture for your baby's delicate skin. And if you don't wipe it off, it is reabsorbed. So your baby will be less likely to develop dry skin patches. Pre-term babies have much more of this protective layer than full-term babies. In the womb your baby is submerged in amniotic fluid, so vernix is absolutely necessary for providing waterproof protection. After birth, however, mother nature may need a helping hand! Returning home can be daunting for new parents. Giving baby his first bath can be terrifying! Your baby does not need a special bath although many parents are well tooled up for the new arrival. A clean sink or the big bath will suffice! Probably the main worry for parents is getting the water temperature correct. After ensuring you have all baby's bits and bobs at hand, such as a changing mat, towel, fresh nappy, vest and clean clothes, place the baby in a safe place. Run cold water into the bath first. Top it up with hot water. Swirl the water around to avoid hot spots. Dip your elbow into the water to check the temperature. It should be lukewarm. As the skin on your elbow is very sensitive it is a reliable way to test the water. If you like you can add a little moisturising, hypoallergenic, baby bubble bath. Swirl it around with your fingers. Young babies do not need bubbles to play with! Undress and wrap baby in a warm towel. Holding him over the bath, cup some bath water in your free hand and gently run it over his head. Shampoo is not necessary for very tiny babies as it can irritate their scalp. Dry the baby's head thoroughly. Babies lose a lot of heat through their heads. Wet heads lose more heat. Placing baby's neck in the crook of your elbow, and your hand holding the back of one of his legs, gently lower him into the water. (TIP If you are right-handed it is easier to place babies neck in the crook of your left elbow. Holding his left leg with your left hand, wash him with your right hand. The reverse is the case if you are left-handed.) Some babies hate being bathed but many really enjoy it. He may become so relaxed that he falls asleep! Cupping some water in your free hand gently trickle it over his body. Your do not need to rub or scrub as babies do not get dirty. They just need to be freshened up! Be careful as he will get very slippery once he is wet! Only keep baby in the bath for a short time as he will get cold quickly and never leave your baby unattended in the bath for even the shortest space of time. Lift him out and wrap him up in his warm towel. Quickly dry him and place a fresh nappy on him before he has any little accidents! Finally, give him a big cuddle and dress him quickly... And there you have it - baby's first bath! Sinead Hoben is the proud mum of three beautiful children aged 6 years, 3 years and 9 months old, all of whom were breastfed. She is currently still breastfeeding her youngest child. A qualified teacher, she now runs her own website, http://www.breastfeedingmums.com, which addresses many of the concerns of breastfeeding mums. www.breastfeedingmums.com offers free breastfeeding information and advice to both breastfeeding and expectant mums. |
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