Best Guidelines To Choosing The Best Cord Blood Bank In Dubai
As expected, there are a lot of decisions to be made. For example, some of you might think of natural birth, while some might go with scissors. Furthermore, some of you might think that in-home birth is better than the hospital, while some might try to preserve new born’s cord blood.
Out of all the decisions, cord blood preservation is one thing that confuses the parents the most. This is perhaps because of the lack of awareness of cord blood banking’s benefits among the parents.
While there is much information on the internet about cord blood banking, there is always something more to know.
What Is Blood Cord Banking?
Cord blood banking is the process of preserving stem cells from the umbilical cord.
If you are unaware of what stem cells are all about, they are immature cells that can take the form of any cells. Hence, experts believe that they hold the potential to treat several diseases like Leukemia, Anemia, Lymphoma, and other immune system disorders.
Most parents want their child’s umbilical cord to be stored, and this is where the concept of cord blood banking comes into place. To bank cord blood cells, you need to have prior arrangements. Usually, the booking time is 60 days.
Soon after your baby’s birth, a doctor or nurse will cut the umbilical cord from the baby and ensure it goes to the facility where it can be frozen and preserved.
How To Choose A Cord Blood Bank?
If you decide to ban your cord blood cell, you can’t just go with any organization. Before you make any decisions, there are several considerations to make. Families who are expecting a baby have many concerns, especially whom to trust with cord blood cell preservations.
Below are a few points that will help you choose the right cord blood bank.
• Experience: Experience in this field matters. As this field is new in the medical sector, going with an organization with little to no experience is not worth it. Look for organizations that have experience in dealing with cord blood banking and have helped families with blood transplants.
• Inventory: One of the most important signs of good cord blood banking is its inventory size. Preserving cord blood for years is not an easy feat. Just preserving one takes a lot of resources. If a bank that can store more than a thousand cord blood is considered a good bank.
• Stability: We have already stated that experience matters. But along with experience, you must also see their stability. Top cord blood banks have at least 20 years of experience and have their own laboratory to run experiments. Banks that have their own laboratory to work with instead of switching partners every other year are less reliable and stable with their operations.
• Shipment: Live stem cells are very sensitive to the environment, especially when they are exposed to extreme temperatures. Soon-to-be parents shall consider the distance between the hospital and the cord blood bank. It is best to choose a bank that provides a transportation tool kit that maintains a stable temperature during transportation.
• Insurance: One of the most concerning factors for parents is whether they will be able to use the stem cells if needed. To put parents at ease, banks run insurance programs that provide parents with assistance in the event when they need to transplant stem cells. In fact, some bans also give a financial guarantee on the ability of their cord blood engraft.
• Accreditation: Accreditation is important. It helps maintain the quality of facilities to store and preserve cord blood. Currently, two accreditation standards are specially designed for cord blood banks – AABB and FACT. When choosing, ensure the bank has these two accreditations.
While these tips will help you find the right cord blood bank, you must always listen to what your inner self is saying. Ask yourself whether it feels like the right decision. If you hesitate to answer, it is not the right call to make. Even if you wish not to go with cord blood banking, you can always donate it to someone in need. The decision-making process takes a lot of time. But once you make it, it is worth every effort.
