Cord Blood Awareness Month every July, serves the purpose of educating people and raising awareness regarding the importance of cord blood. Not sure what cord blood is? It is the blood and tissue that is derived from the placenta and the baby’s umbilical cord. Over time, doctors have realized how essential this blood is, hence, an extra effort is put into spreading awareness regarding cord blood advantages. Today, cord blood is used across the world to cure numerous diseases — making it a natural wonder that can only be obtained from the miracle of birth. This month, save lives by doing all that you can to spread awareness regarding cord blood.
History of Cord Blood Awareness Month
Did you know there are about four million births in the U.S. each year? With so many babies being born, the hospitals must have a large amount of cord blood saved, right? Wrong! While the statistics for birth may be high, cord blood is collected only 5–10% of the time. The rest of the time, it is discarded as medical waste. This is mostly because of a lack of awareness regarding cord blood procedures, as well as the benefits it can provide for mankind. This is why July was declared Cord Blood Awareness Month by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
Though the umbilical cord blood stem cells were discovered in 1978, the first transplant did not happen until 1988. From there, the medical history as we know it completely evolved. Doctors became more aware of the uses of cord blood and began to research the diseases it can cure, which include leukemia, blood diseases, Alzheimer’s, as well as immune disorders. It was also discovered that cord blood was more effective than a bone marrow transplant — therefore it’s not a surprise that more and more people are opting for cord blood transplants every year.
As clinical trials continue to find out more benefits of cord blood and the diseases it can help heal, the popularity of the transplant continues to surge. In fact, athletes such as Rafael Nadal and football legends such as Christiano Ronaldo and David Beckham have opted for umbilical cord stem cells to treat sports injuries.
Cord Blood Awareness Month timeline
The first successful cord blood transplant is performed in Paris.
Dr. Pablo Rubinstein establishes the first umbilical cord bank .
The National Marrow Donor Program launches the cord blood program.
Over 30,000 cord blood transplants are performed.
Cord Blood Awareness Month FAQs
What diseases can cord blood treat?
The diseases that cord blood can treat include immune disorders, certain cancers, blood disorders, etc.
How long is cord blood good for?
Cord blood can be stored for over 23.5 years.
Does insurance pay for cord blood banking?
Yes, cord blood banking is covered by medical insurance if one can prove it is being used for treatment.
How to Celebrate Cord Blood Awareness Month
Volunteer at the hospital
To be a part of the process of a cord blood transplant, volunteer at a hospital where there is a cord blood bank. This will help you understand the procedure and the problems linked to it.
Form your own campaign
Write something, design a poster, or post on social media — the purpose is to speak about cord blood and spread awareness.
Host a webinar
Research about cord blood transplants and host a webinar on it. The information you provide may be of great help for people suffering from numerous diseases that can be treated with cord blood and can be enlightening for pregnant women.
5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know About Cord Blood
It treats many diseases
Cord blood can treat nearly 80 diseases.
Number of transplants
40,000 cord blood transplants have been performed worldwide.
Cord blood samples in storage
There are over four million samples in storage across the world.
Success rate
Cord blood transplants have a 100% success rate.
It’s pain-free
Cord blood is collected by cutting the umbilical cord, so it’s painless to obtain it.
Why Cord Blood Awareness Month is Important
It highlights the importance of cord blood
The month brings to light the importance of cord blood, its advantages, and how it can be utilized to eliminate several diseases.
It encourages donors
The awareness month also encourages donors to donate cord blood by emphasizing how painless the procedure is.
It educates people
Cord Blood Awareness Month educates people regarding several existing diseases, as well as the discoveries by science that led to the usage of cord blood as a cure.
Cord Blood Awareness Month dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | July 1 | Monday |
| 2025 | July 1 | Tuesday |
| 2026 | July 1 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | July 1 | Thursday |
| 2028 | July 1 | Saturday |
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