Abstract
"Modern medicine has brought about a new and exciting birth option for expectant parents--Umbilical Cord Blood Banking. 'Cord blood' is the blood that remains in a baby's umbilical cord and placenta immediately after birth. Recent medical breakthroughs have shown that cord blood can be used instead of bone marrow to treat a variety of cancers and blood diseases like leukemia, lymphoma, and aplastic anemia. For years it has been routinely discarded, but now, expectant parents are choosing to collect and bank their newborn's cord blood for potential future use, and maternity professionals have the opportunity to contribute to the treatment of many life-threatening diseases. This two-part program is designed to provide an overview of umbilical cord blood, its use in disease treatment, and instruction in cord blood collection. It is introduced by Dr. Richard Schwarz, Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York Methodist Hospital and Professor of OB/GYN at Cornell University Medical School. (Description from the cassette) This video is a companion video to "Umbilical Cord Blood Banking: A New Birth Option for your Family."
