Cord Blood Bank
Comments (0)
Selecting a highly accredited and certified company for banking cord blood can help you better prepare for your family’s potential future health needs. For parents considering stem cell storage, choosing a reputable cord blood bank is often a concern. How do expecting parents determine which cord blood bank to use to store their children’s stem cells? Expecting parents often contact a cord blood bank that provides soon-to-be parents with information about cord blood banking and stem cell treatments in order to help them make informed decisions about their families’ cord blood banking needs. Other criteria expecting parents use to select a cord blood bank include: the quality of the cord blood storage facility; the experience the cord blood bank has in releasing cord blood stem cells for patient use; the cord blood research capabilities of the cord blood bank; and whether the cord blood bank collects stem cells from other viable sources, such as the placenta, to augment the cord blood collection and improve its treatment potential. When the banked stem cells are needed to treat a potentially life-threatening disease requiring hematopoietic (blood forming) reconstitution, having a second unit of stem cells can be lifesaving should there be any complications with one of the two units of stem cells. New technology has expanded cord blood banking options and made it possible for families to bank stem cells from 2 sources. This cord blood banking service, known as Placenta-Cord banking, enables parents to bank 2 units of stem cells instead of just 1, by banking both placenta-derived stem cells and cord blood. This unique combination can collect the most stem cells possible—and the more CD34+ stem cells transplanted has been shown to improve transplant success and patient survival.
The chance that a child will use his/her own stored cells during their lifetime is estimated at 1 in 400 (J.J. Nietfeld and F. Verter). These odds may increase if there is a family history of certain blood disorders or cancers. The potential risks and benefits of stem cell transplantation vary and depend on many factors, such as the amount and quality of the stem cells collected, the HLA compatibility between recipient and donor, and the client’s overall health. Talk with your health care provider. For more information, call 1-877-LIFEBANKUSA (1-877-543-3226) or visit www.lifebankusa.com
Cord Blood Storage
Comments (0)
If you’re interested in having access to the latest advancements in medical treatments for your child, cord blood storage is something you should consider. Cord blood storage facilities preserve cord blood stem cells for families that may need the cells to treat life-threatening diseases and conditions. However, not all cord blood storage companies are the same. Most cord blood banks will only allow you to collect stem cells from the umbilical cord blood. However, new technology has expanded cord blood banking options and made it possible for families to bank stem cells from 2 sources. This cord blood banking service, also known as Placenta-Cord banking, enables parents to bank 2 units of blood-forming stem cells instead of just 1, by banking both placenta-derived stem cells and cord blood stem cells. This unique combination can yield the most stem cells possible—and more CD34+ stem cells transplanted have been shown to improve transplant success and patient survival for hematopoietic (blood forming) reconstitution.
Cord Blood Storage
Comments (0)
What should expecting parents consider when deciding between family cord blood banking and the public cord blood storage of their newborn’s cord blood stem cells?
In family cord blood banks, parents pay the cord blood banking company to collect, process, and store the cord blood exclusively for family use. The family owns the cord blood stem cells, which can be made immediately available to a family member should there be a need. Family cord blood banks attract expecting parents who want the peace of mind knowing that their newborn’s cord blood will be saved and immediately available should a family member need the cord blood stem cells to treat a potentially life-threatening disease or condition.
In public cord blood banks, parents give up all ownership of the cord blood stem cells. The goal of a public cord blood bank is to collect and store only the largest units of cord blood for potentially lifesaving transplants. While many expecting parents donate their newborns’ cord blood to public cord blood banks to help people requiring a lifesaving stem cell transplant, they should be made aware that in most public cord blood banks, the criteria for storing collections are so strict that in some banks more than half of all donations are discarded and never made available to the public. This is because stem cell experts and transplant physicians agree that many cord blood samples may be too small to be used in lifesaving stem cell transplants because they don’t contain enough stem cells. With this cord blood banking concern, members of the medical community have started exploring other rich sources of stem cells with the understanding that patients with access to more stem cells would also have access to improved lifesaving treatments. This research has led to the breakthrough of finding that placenta-derived stem cells, which have the potential to become different types of cells, could be isolated from the placenta with a proprietary technology so that they would be available for potential lifesaving treatment applications requiring hematopoietic (blood forming) reconstitution. This is process is now known by the medical community as Placenta-Cord banking.
With Placenta-Cord banking, parents pay the cord blood banking company to collect, process, and store stem cells derived from the placenta in addition to cord blood stem cells. Like the stem cells found in cord blood and bone marrow, placenta-derived stem cells are non-controversial and free of the political and ethical debate surrounding other types of stem cells. Placenta-Cord banking provides expecting families with the added peace of mind of knowing that they have 2 units of blood-forming stem cells instead of just 1, as offered by traditional cord blood banking services. This unique combination of placenta-derived stem cells and cord blood stem cells collects the most stem cells possible. And transplant of more stem cells has been shown to improve transplant success and patient survival in the treatment of potentially life-threatening diseases and conditions.
Regardless of whether they bank their children’s cord blood with a public or family cord blood bank, all expecting parents should be made aware of the lifesaving potential of their newborns’ cord blood and be encouraged to privately bank or donate the cord blood rather than allow for such a precious, lifesaving source to be discarded, as is often the case.
The chance that a child will use his/her own stored cells during their lifetime is estimated at 1 in 400 (J.J. Nietfeld and F. Verter). These odds may increase if there is a family history of certain blood disorders or cancers. The potential risks and benefits of stem cell transplantation vary and depend on many factors, such as the amount and quality of the stem cells collected, the HLA compatibility between recipient and donor, and the client’s overall health. Talk with your health care provider. For more information, call 1-877-LIFEBANKUSA (1-877-543-3226) or visit www.lifebankusa.com.
Cord Blood Banking
Comments (0)
As a new parent, nothing is more important than ensuring your child’s health. Cord blood banking can help provide you with more treatment options for your family’s future health needs. However, it is important to select a reputable and accredited cord blood banking facility. Stem cell therapies offer a treatment option for a broad array of potentially life-threatening diseases and conditions. By banking placenta-derived stem cells and cord blood stem cells, you are giving your child improved opportunities for a healthy, bright future. Having more CD34+ stem cells by banking both placenta-derived stem cells and cord blood stem cells can significantly improve transplant success if the stem cells are used to treat a potentially life-threatening disease or condition. However, for your family to have access to these treatment options, just have your child’s placenta-derived stem cells and cord blood stem cells collected immediately following birth. Traditional cord blood banking collects stem cells from cord blood only. However, an additional option can be found in a placenta-derived stem cell and cord blood banking service known as Placenta-Cord banking. Placenta-Cord banking has already enabled thousands of parents to bank 2 units of stem cells instead of just 1 by enabling them to bank both placenta-derived stem cells and cord blood. This unique combination gives you the most stem cells possible—and more CD34+ stem cells have been shown to improve transplant success and patient survival.
Cord Blood Banking
Comments (0)
Many parents-to-be do not understand the full potential of cord blood banking. Placenta-derived stem cells and cord blood are incredibly important in helping you provide your family with more treatment options for your family’s future health needs. No parent wants to consider the possibility of future disease, but investing in placenta-derived stem cell and cord blood banking can provide expecting parents with the peace of mind of knowing that an exact stem cell match is readily available for the child whose stem cells were banked to treat potentially life-threatening diseases.
What can your child gain from cord blood banking? In addition to the numerous stem cell treatment indications currently available, such as for leukemia, your child will also benefit from the continued research and resultant advancements in treatment options made possible by some of these cord blood banking companies. For instance, use of cord blood stem cells is currently being researched for the potential treatment of such diseases and conditions as Alzheimer’s, muscular dystrophy, and diabetes. Preparing your family for their potential future health needs can be as simple as contacting the right cord blood banking company. While all children can benefit from cord blood banking, families of children with histories of medical conditions should especially consider cord blood banking as their chances of using their own stored stem cells may increase if there is a history of certain blood disorders or cancers in the family.
