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.
Click here for a
complete list of all ailments that have been treated with
cord blood stem cells. 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 |
