I had no Idea

I didn't have my children's umbilical cords banked. I had my kids right before the big push to save the 'cord'. I personally don't know anyone who did. I read the press release at the bottom of this post and I started wondering about it. Being out of the baby 'loop' for many years now, I didn't know if there were any recent developments in the area.

Seems that after Googling the issue, I discovered that people can donate their umbilical cords to public banks. They are there to be used by anyone as long as the blood type matches.

Like this woman in California

So this is what I am wondering. If it's so valuable, and so usable, why aren't we pushing for everyone who has a baby to donate the cord, like donating organs. I think that there would be more people willing to do this.

Can the same thing be done with menstrual fluid? Can it be used as generically as umbilical cord cells? Something to ponder.

Wouldn't it be in the best interest of humanity to spend as much money on this research as we do on the Space Program? Don't we always say, "take care of home first"?

Shouldn't our tax money be spent on something that could benefit US? Why are these 'banks' in the private sector? Why doesn't the government start banking?

Of course, if I ran the world, there would be a National mandatory DNA database. If you wanted a driver's license, food stamps, social security number, you would have to submit a sample. Wouldn't it make it easier to actually catch dangerous criminals?



Press Release:

Taking Control: Future Therapies for a Host of Serious Diseases May Be Found in Women's Menstrual Blood

July 07, 2008: 01:28 PM EST


OLDSMAR, Fla., July 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With today’s hectic lifestyle, where most women are juggling careers, family, relationships, and a host of activities, the idea of possibly facing a serious illness in the future is not something that readily comes to mind -- especially when a woman is in the prime of her life. But what most women don’t know, is that the key to treating a number of possibly life-threatening diseases that she, a parent, a sibling or even her children may face in later years, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, may be found within her own body -- in vital stem cells, which can now be harvested from her own menstrual blood.

Now, thanks to the revolutionary research and technology of C’elle, a service dedicated to providing women with a safe and easy method of collecting and preserving stem cells found in her menstrual fluid each month, even the busiest woman can take control of her future, right in the privacy of her own home. With C’elle’s non-invasive collection process, menstrual cells are processed and cryo-preserved (stored at a very low temperature) for potential cellular therapies that may be used in the future. These self-renewing cells one day may even be used for sports medicine or cosmeceutical treatments, such as anti-aging therapies.

"C’elle enables and empowers a woman to take control of her future health, and possibly of those genetically closest to her, in a fast, painless and stress free way," said Michelle Kay, Marketing and Sales Manager for C’elle. "We live in exciting times, as science and technology are discovering how extremely valuable menstrual blood stem cells really are, and the enormous treatment potential they represent for future therapies. C’elle’s ongoing research is supporting these promising findings."

For more information about C’elle, please call 1-877-892-3553 or visit www.celle.com.

CNNMoney