Indian Cord Blood Banks Offer Treatment for Thalassemia
Certain diseases and medical conditions are known to affect particular ethnic groups more than others. Thalassemia is one such disease, affecting more individuals of Indian descent than any other race. Cord blood is one of the most effective treatment methods for this disease, and banks across India aim to help those affected by it.
Recently, a Thalassemia patient in India has received a cord blood transplant to aid in his treatment of the disease. The patient's sibling donated his cord blood, and the family was happy to report a successful recovery.
Without cord blood treatment, patients with Thalassemia must regularly undergo blood transfusions in order to repair their diseased blood cells with healthy ones. A cord blood transplant provides the patients with a long term solution, as stem cells are used to replace the diseased cells.
With an increasing number of success stories about cord blood being used to treat Thalassemia, more and more families across India are considering the option of banking their children's cord blood. In North America, cord blood banks are also appealing to families of Indian descent, as the procedure provides an important and useful form of health insurance for those who present a high risk of contracting particular blood diseases.