Benefits of Cord Blood, Cord Tissue, and Placenta Tissue Banking!

This post is sponsored by Americord.

 

Cord Blood, Cord tissue, and Placenta tissue banking are things I never even thought about with my first two children. I think the reason was that I just didn’t have the facts and knowledge about each type of banking.

 

 

 

 

Americord provides you with everything you need to store your baby’s cord blood, tissue, and placenta! They have a full suite of products for you and your baby! White glove bedside pickup service by the fastest medical courier in the U.S.! They can be reached 24/7/365  and there are No yearly storage fees.

 

 

Americord offers 3 types of banking:

Cord Blood 2.0™ // Preserve up to two times the stem cells of a typical collection from umbilical cord blood — exclusively available through Americord.

 

Cord Tissue Banking// Preserve mesenchymal stem cells genetically matched with the baby from umbilical cord tissue.

 

Placenta Tissue Banking// Preserve mesenchymal stem cells genetically matched with the mother from placenta tissue.

 

 

WHAT IS CORD BLOOD? Cord blood is an easily accessible source of stem cells that is available only when your baby is born. It remains in the umbilical cord and in the placenta following birth.

Blood System Building Blocks The type of stem cells that are recovered at birth from the umbilical cord and the placenta, called cord blood stem cells, are classified as hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). HSCs can become any of the blood cells and cellular blood components in our bodies (such as white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, etc.).

 

 

Transplants of stem cells from cord blood are an effective therapy for certain blood borne and genetic diseases, including various types of leukemia and lymphoma. Cord Blood 2.0™ Preserves Up To Twice As Many Stem Cells Americord takes cord blood banking to the next level with Cord Blood 2.0™, enabling you to preserve up to twice as many stem cells compared to a typical cord blood collection.

 

 

Cord Blood 2.0™ is an important advancement for parents looking to preserve their baby’s stem cells, and it is only available through Americord.

 

What is Placenta Tissue???

 

Americord® is one of the only banks to offer placenta tissue banking because stem cell banking shouldn’t just be about protecting baby, but mom too. With Mother’s Day around the corner what better gift than this!!

 

Like cord tissue, placenta tissue is rich in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). These stem cells are multipotent, meaning that they can differentiate into many different types of cells, including organ and muscle tissue, skin, bone, cartilage, and fat cells.

 

But placenta tissue is different because it contains MSCs that are a genetic match to mom. The placenta uses these stem cells to grow during pregnancy and after giving birth, they can be collected, stored, and regenerated easily to grow into a wide array of tissues in the body. Over 50 clinical trials are currently researching treatments and uses for MSCs including Type 1 Diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and spinal cord injuries.

 

Wow the ONLY bank to provide placenta tissue banking? That speaks volumes for Americord!

Banking on Mom:

This is a rare opportunity to bank on Mom! The outermost layer of the placenta contains mom’s mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This means that mom can now store her own life-saving stem cells. After birth, Americord® collects the placenta and then selects the most valuable portions for storage.

This is truly something I NEVER KNEW ABOUT. It’s so important to understand everything regarding the birth of your new baby and what you’re body is capable of doing and producing!

 

 

Americord makes cord blood banking affordable, especially in comparison to other cord blood banks!

I researched delayed cord clamping with Ainsley and decided to give it a try. Here’s a little bit about that process.

What is Delayed Cord Clamping?

Delayed cord clamping is defined by the World Health Organization as waiting to clamp a baby’s umbilical cord one minute after birth. By delaying the clamping the baby is able to receive more stem cell rich blood, and who doesn’t want more cord blood!

In addition to nutrient rich blood, a baby can also benefit years down the road with enhanced neurodevelopment. That means better fine motor skills and and social skills. Who wouldn’t want a kid that can hold a conversation and throw a ball at the same time? In all seriousness, delayed cord clamping generates a host of benefits for a newborn baby at birth and throughout life.

Umbilical cord blood, like bone marrow and peripheral blood, is a rich source of stem cells for transplantation. There may be advantages for certain patients to have cord blood stem cell transplants instead of transplants with marrow or peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs).

Basically they all are beneficial to your baby. Now it’s time to decide which type of banking is best for your baby and family. A lot of factors come into play. Definitely discussing it with your spouse would be the first option and you can always reach out to an Americord representative to further discuss your options. You can also request to get your own guide to cord blood banking!

This is a big decision and should be thoroughly discussed before choosing the best option for your family! Have you personally experienced any of these options before? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for reading!!