Sorry, I don’t want to give you something else to worry about. Goodness knows, a trip to the doc, a step on the scale, the long ride home without a frappaccino….don’t we have enough on our minds? But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this, since it may be more motivating than how we …
Continue ReadingTake a look at the MAZE Cord Blood Kit
Published and renown OBGYN suggests considering cord blood banking
It’s a delight to read about intelligent practitioners and other supporters of the possibilities that banking cord blood presents. This is particularly true when these professionals are objective contributers to the conversation, not paid spokespeople. Dr. Linda Burke-Galloway, M.D was recently inspired by the story of Chloe Levine and her cord blood transplant at Duke …
Continue ReadingOhio Governor signs cord blood bill into law
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland signed into law HB 102 requireing the Ohio Department of Health to place printable information on umbilical cord blood banking and donation on its website. The Department of Health also will encourage health care professionals to provide the information to pregnant women.
Continue ReadingSharp decline reported in pregnancy and childbirth deaths
Investments in maternal health are reaping powerful results. It’s hard for those of us lucky enough to live in developed countries to imagine why anyone would die from complications in pregnancy or childbirth. We know it happens and there are outlyer examples; but generally, this is not the expectation in our communities Well, globally, the …
Continue ReadingCord Blood Banking conversation down under
Here’s a peek at the conversation in Australia regarding the pros and cons of private and public cord blood banking. It’s so interesting how different parts of the world are in different places when it comes to this conversation. In the US, there’s legislation pending requiring OBGYNs to advise patients of the availablility of cord …
Continue ReadingDuke University receives $10 MM to aid cord blood research
We came across this interesting website dedicated to the science around stem cells and bone marrow. This is always a challenge since it’s not always clear whether these sites are above board, or just shills for cord blood companies. www.Chxa.com reports that Duke University received $10 million from the Robertson Foundation, a family foundation started …
Continue ReadingBone marrow matching difficult for African Americans and mixed race families
We often come across corroborating evidence that matching bone marrow for African Americans and mixed race families continues to be an uphill battle. The stories of young people who suffer through grueling treatments because a match cannot be found are heart-breaking. If you are reading this, and you are African American, of mixed race origin, or …
Continue ReadingCord Blood matches buy time for bone marrow matches
As we know, finding a match for a bone marrow transplant is so difficult, and this is particularly heart-wrenching when the recipient in need is a child. Here’s a story of an 11-year old boy suffering from a relapse in his leukemia, and who has just received a cord blood transplant when a match was found while …
Continue ReadingTips for limiting your family’s exposure to BPA
BPA, or Bisphenol-A, is an industrial chemical used to manufacture a range of plastic products, including water bottles and the lining of food and beverage cans and, yes, sippy cups. The chemical is now also found in an overwhelming majority of Americans, and a recent study found traces of it in 90 percent of infant …
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