Banking on Miracles
Cord Blood Preservation
Can you imagine the wonders that may unfold in your newborn’s lifetime? Your baby’s cord blood stem cells may hold the key to many of those wonders. Once discarded as medical waste, cord blood is widely known to be a rich source of stem cells – the building blocks of all cells in our blood and immune system. For decades, stem cells have successfully treated nearly 80 devastating diseases in over 20,000 transplants worldwide.
Cord blood can only be collected at the time your baby is delivered, after the umbilical cord has been clamped and cut. There is no pain or risk to you or your baby. Using the supplies provided in your cord blood collection kit, your healthcare professional collects the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta.
Following the collection of your newborn’s cord blood, the specimen is transported to a cord blood bank facility for testing, processing and storage. The specimen is frozen in the vapors of liquid nitrogen to extremely cold temperatures of approximately -195°C. This process, known as cryopreservation, halts the cellular activity of the stem cells almost as if they are frozen in time. When cryopreserved in accordance with industry standards, cord blood stem cells remain vital for many years.
Life-Saving Opportunity: A Family Healthcare Investment
While preserved cord blood stem cells do not guarantee a treatment or cure for every disease, studies have shown that recipients of stem cells from a related donor’s umbilical cord blood have greater success and fewer complications. Banking your newborn’s cord blood stem cells in a private family cord blood bank will provide your family with the confidence and peace-of-mind of having immediate availability should the stem cells ever be needed for the medical treatment of your newborn or related family member. Stem cells harvested from umbilical cord blood are a 100% match for your baby. These stem cells have at least a 1-in-4 chance of matching a sibling and may also match other family members. Preserving your newborn’s umbilical cord blood stem cells is a healthcare investment that may potentially grow in value as future stem cell therapies emerge. An increasing number of experimental clinical studies are underway at prominent research institutions in the U.S. and abroad that utilize cord blood stem cells to treat a broad range of conditions such as juvenile diabetes, cerebral palsy and spinal cord injury.
Key Decision Criteria
As you prepare for the birth of your baby, you are balancing multiple priorities in the midst of a flurry of activities. It is important to remember that your decision to bank cord blood is one that may potentially impact your family’s future healthcare long after your baby is born. Here are some factors to consider:
Private Family vs. Public Cord Blood Bank
Storing your baby’s cord blood with a private facility will guarantee that these preserved cord blood stem cells will be available only to you and your family. Stem cells donated to a public facility become the property of a publicly accessible cord blood bank registry and are available on a first-come, first-served policy. If needed, a donor's cells may already have been used by someone else. By choosing private family storage, you will not pay extra fees associated with sourcing a specimen match and you will have the assurance that your newborn’s specimen will be available if needed.
Quality Leadership
Be sure to ask about the cord blood bank’s industry accreditations such as AABB (formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks) and ISO 9001:2008 (International Standards Organization) to ensure that your newborn’s cord blood will be processed in accordance with the highest standards.
Longevity and Clients
A good indication of whether a company will be around in the future is to consider how long they’ve been in business and how many clients have entrusted that company. Ask when the cord blood bank was established and how many clients they have.
Financial Stability
Financial stability is also an important criterion. Publicly-traded companies, for example, are governed by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), which means that the Company’s financial information is audited by an independent firm and is available to the public.
Control of Processing and Storage
Some cord blood banks are simply marketing outlets that do not perform their own processing or storage. By choosing a private family cord blood bank that operates its own state-of-the-art processing, testing and cryopreservation operation, you are assured that the provider is in complete control of every step to ensure the highest quality available today.
Value
In comparing cord blood banks, expectant parents are encouraged to evaluate the provider’s standards of industry-leading quality, client service testimonials, exclusive features and value proposition. You may be surprised to discover greater value in an affordable cord bank versus other cord blood banks, many of which are higher priced.
Cord Blood Stem Cells Save Lives
Our greatest hope is that your family will never have to use your child’s cord blood stem cells for medical therapy. Should the need ever arise however; cord blood stem cells stored in a private family cord blood bank are immediately available for medical treatment. As you await the magical moment of your newborn’s birth, consider the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to safeguard your family’s future health and well-being by banking on miracles.