Overview on cord
blood banking
Your baby’s
umbilical cord blood is a valuable source of
non-controversial stem cells. Cord blood stem cells, like
bone marrow stem cells, are free of political and ethical
debate. The benefits of cord blood stem cells are clear-cord
blood has already saved thousands of lives and medial
researchers are now exploring potential new uses for
conditions like diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Today, cord blood stem cells
have been used successfully in the treatment of over 40
life-threatening diseases. Cord blood is a guaranteed match
for the baby and may also provide potential treatment for
other family members as well. Here are a few answers to
some commonly asked questions to help your family make an
informed decision about preserving this remarkable gift of
nature.
What is cord blood banking?
In its simplest terms,
cord blood banking is the collection and storage of the stem
cells found in your newborn's umbilical cord. The stem cells
are removed after the umbilical cord is cut, thereby
not affecting the baby or mother in any way.
Stem Cells are the building blocks of our blood and immune
systems. They are found throughout the body including in
bone marrow, cord blood and peripheral blood. They are
particularly powerful because they have the ability to
treat, repair and/or replace damaged cells in the body.
How can
cord blood stem cells save lives?
Stem cells are used therapeutically in
transplants to help cure, treat and repair damaged blood and
immune systems. This is especially valuable when the systems
have been damaged by radiation or chemotherapy. Today, cord
blood stem cells have been used successfully in the
treatment of over 40
life-threatening diseases. Researchers are now looking
to cord blood for answers to: heart disease, stroke and
diabetes. Additionally, ViaCord is specifically researching
using cord blood to treat heart disease and more cancers, as
well as new ways to expand the volume of collected stem
cells so that they may be used multiple times or for
multiple people. Learn more about current
research.
Are cord blood stem cells part of the stem cell controversy I
hear about in the news?
Cord blood stem
cells are free of political and ethical debate. Cord blood
banking is endorsed by the current White House Administration
and many religious organizations worldwide. Because of cord
blood’s value and its controversy-free status, many states have
already introduced legislation on educating families about the
options for their baby’s cord blood.
Can our baby’s cord blood be used for other family members?
Your baby’s
stem cells are a perfect genetic match for your baby. There is
also an increased chance of providing a match for siblings and
other family members. Thousands of successful cord blood stem
cell transplants have been performed. Our researchers are now
developing proprietary technology that is designed to “multiply”
the number of stem cells from a single cord. This research is in
pre-clinical stages. If this technology proves successful, it
may potentially be a way to provide treatment for several family
members from a single cord blood unit.
What’s the likelihood of ever using our baby’s cord blood?
It’s been
reported that the likelihood of requiring a stem cell transplant
using either your own or a sibling’s stem cells is 1 in 220. To
put this in perspective, over 18,000 babies born this year will
require a cord blood stem cell transplant in their lifetime.
Cord blood will not be the stem cell source for all these
transplants, however, thousands of cord blood transplants have
been performed in the past few years and that number is
anticipated to grow. Also, these numbers do not factor in any
future advances like treating heart disease and diabetes.
What makes ViaCord different from other private cord blood
banks?
ViaCord is the
only cord blood preservation company that is also a recognized
leader in cord blood research. ViaCord’s scientific expertise is
an important benefit to your family-we apply our expertise to
everything we do, from collection to processing to storage to
researching potential new uses for cord blood that could make
your family’s cord blood even more valuable.
More questions?
Call ViaCord's 24/7 Clinical Consultants toll free:
800-959-6207
or
visit us at
www.viacord.com |
