Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: TH
Context: Recently, many actresses have chosen to preserve their baby’s cord blood.
About Cord Blood:
- Cord blood is a rich source of stem cells that can potentially be used in the treatment of certain blood, immune, and metabolic disorders.
- Private stem cell banking companies offer community or social banking options where stored cord blood is accessible to registered individuals.
- These community banks have a larger pool of donors, increasing the chances of finding a match for patients in need.
The use of cord blood in transplants has declined in recent years, with haploidentical transplants (It uses healthy, blood-forming cells from a half-matched family member donor to replace the unhealthy ones) becoming more common and successful. While emerging technologies may improve the utilization of cord blood in the future, the present trend shows the under-utilization of stored cord blood.
