The research in the field of medical science in the last century has led to discovery and invention of new methods of treatments based on new front-end technologies and deeper research inputs. The twin technologies of genetic engineering and stem cells hold the promise of changing the way people are treated for different types of illnesses. It is believed that these would be especially helpful in finding the causes of chronic diseases and effectively treating them. This article examines the benefits of cord blood banking or stem cells in development of regenerative medicine.

The cord blood banking begins with the collection of cord blood from the fetal end of the cord after cutting the umbilical cord within ten minutes of giving the birth to the baby. It is also a practice to collect the same from the placental end as well. The total collections shall be a minimum 75ml so that these can be used for transplantation. The placental cord blood is sent to laboratories for additional processing. The blood is to be checked for viral infections and tests are conducted to ascertain the matching tissue type.

The cord blood stem cells play a pivotal role in the treatment of blood and immune system related diseases including genetic disorders, cancers and blood disorders. Though there are other sources of stem cells but the ones derived from cord blood have certain unique characteristics which are not found in other sources. Further, if the stems cells of one’s own body are used there are no chances of these getting rejected by the body. These cells have the ability to repair the tissues in the body. Since these are the basic cells from which different types of tissues are formed, these are of great use in treatments requiring creation of fresh tissues to replace the damaged ones.

The cord blood storing is done in cryo-preservation by the public and private banks. Since cutting of the umbilical cord is not harmful for the baby, there are no ethical issues involved in using this as was the case with the embryonic stem cells. The public cord blood banking is supported by the medical community but there are controversies about these being stored by the private banks. Already, the research is underway in treating a number of diseases using this technique but it is still in the earlier stages. There is a definite hope of these being used to rid the human race of life threatening diseases.

When the news of pregnancy is received, everyone in the family is bound to be happy. You will feel on top of world and everyone will begin to inquire about your health and offer their advice on the same. They will share their experiences and provide you lots of pregnancy information. But, the best guide during this period is an experienced doctor who will tell you everything about it. You shall not hesitate calling the doctor to seek advice even on seemingly small and obvious matters. Women, generally, do inquire about the food, clothing, medications, exercises and other things but often ignore to ask about the way they shall sleep. In fact, this is perhaps as important as any other thing to ask.

During pregnancy, you would not be very comfortable in the regular sleeping postures and one thing or the other might keep disturbing your peaceful sleep. The main reasons for this could be the increase in the size of abdomen, the occurrence of back pain and discomfort, shortness of breath, heart burn and inability to sleep. These could also be due to the medications that you may be taking and also due to hormonal and physiological changes that may be occurring during this phase.

The most usual position for most women to sleep is to lie on the back and that may not be very comfortable. The best sleeping position during all pregnancy stages is to sleep on the left side. This position enables greater amount of blood and nutrients to reach the placenta and the baby. This is helpful in the growth and development of the baby. While sleeping on the left it is advised to bend the knees and place a pillow between the legs. If you happen to be suffering from the back pain as well, then placing a pillow under the abdomen also helps. Another benefit of sleeping on side is that the shortness of breath does not occur in this position.

The two sleeping positions that shall be avoided are of sleeping on the back and sleeping on the stomach. The former is not good for back pain, breathing, digestive system, low blood pressure and decreases circulation to heart and baby. The latter position is not advised at all.

It shall be noted that you may not be able to sleep the whole night in any one position and it is perfectly okay to keeping changing the postures. However, sleeping on stomach is best avoided during pregnancy.