Renfield may have been insane, but he wasn’t wrong. Blood is life. Without it, life ends. July is Cord Blood Awareness Month. With the emergence of Regenerative Medicine, saving the blood from the umbilical cord has become a thing.
Why Collect Cord Blood?
Cord blood contains Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs). These are blood-forming stem cells similar to what is found in blood marrow. They can treat, repair, and replace damaged cells in the body. They can restore a damaged immune system.
Currently, the stem cells found in the Cord Blood are being used to treat 11 different forms of Cancer, 13 different Blood Disorders, 4 different Immune System Disorders, and 12 different Metabolic Disorders. As advances continue in the Regenerative Medicine field, more uses will be found.
By saving the Cord Blood, if something goes wrong with your child, or another family member, you save the time and expense of testing to find a matching donor.
The Story of Your Health is Told Using Your Blood
Many of the diseases and disorders being treated with Cord Blood HSCs are detectable by a variety of blood tests. It is amazing the amount of information about the health of your body that is contained in your blood. Science has learned how to detect certain harmful conditions before they become critical and, therefore, are easier to treat.
IPE Screening can perform a variety of blood tests for you so you have the information you need from your blood to know how your body is doing. Knowing your numbers puts you in the driver’s seat for your health.
For example, testing your sugar levels can tell you if you are pre-diabetic and heading for full-blown diabetes if you don’t make some lifestyle changes. Or to monitor your cholesterol levels. It gives you the choice to take control of your health and not be dependent upon medicines. Eating and living healthy is a better option than continuing bad health habits and ending up having to take a variety of medicines every day.
Your blood can also tell you about hormone deficiencies, such as thyroid conditions. There is a blood test for your thyroid function. Many older women experience issues with their thyroid after entering menopause. Having it checked regularly can help you know when medical intervention is necessary to control your thyroid levels.
Blood is literally life
When you are pregnant, you and your baby (or babies) share the same blood. Blood tests can tell you if you are pregnant. There is even a DNA test now that will tell you the sex of your baby as early as 6 weeks!
How amazing is that?
No more waiting 9 months, or until a sonogram would show things. A simple DNA test will now tell you almost as soon as you realize you are pregnant!
There are also blood tests that can detect potential problems with the baby before birth so you are prepared for whatever medical intervention may be necessary.
IPE Screening has recently become affiliated with Quest Diagnostics and can now accept insurance. We still do not require insurance or doctors to be involved, but we can help you save money on your lab work. Even if you have insurance, there are still out-of-pocket expenses you are responsible for.
We can save you money
If your chosen medical provider is a TeleMD, we are the perfect addition to your health care team. We can do any physical exams (blood pressure, etc.) or blood draws needed by your TeleMD. No appointments are needed, walk-ins are welcome!
Come see IPE Screening today and find out what your blood is trying to tell you about the health of your body!