Thinking about banking your baby’s cord blood? Then, you probably already know that cord blood contains powerful stem cells, which are biologically younger and more flexible than adult stem cells from sources like bone marrow. But, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the unique advantages of cord blood stem cells and what they could mean for your child. Here are 6 reasons why cord blood banking is a smart decision for you and your family:
1. Cord blood banking has life-saving potential
Cord blood is an important source of stem cells and it has been proven in treatments to help replace and rebuild diseased blood cells. Since the first cord blood transplant in 1988, there have been more than 30,000 cord blood transplants around the world.1 Find out more about how LifebankUSA is impacting real families by reading our cord blood banking success stories.
2. Cord blood stem cells can be used to treat nearly 80 diseases2
Currently, there are approximately 80 diseases where transplants of either bone marrow or cord blood are accepted as standard therapy by the medical community. Some of these diseases – such as leukemia – are well known, but others are rare conditions for which there are limited treatment options. To date, stem cells collected at LifebankUSA have been used to treat common childhood leukemias, sickle cell anemia, inherited immune deficiencies and more.
3. Cord blood collection is simple and safe
Collecting your baby’s cord blood is a simple and safe procedure that takes place immediately after the birth of your child. Typically, it only takes 5 minutes for the healthcare provider to collect cord blood.
4. Using your own family’s cord blood has many other advantages
Compared to using donor cord blood, using your own family’s cord blood increases the odds of a successful transplant.3,4,5 Stem cell transplant patients who have a related donor also have improved survival rates.6
A successful stem cell transplant requires that the patient and the donor have closely matching human leukocyte antigen (HLA) types.7 Children inherit HLA types from their parents. When you bank your child’s cord blood with a private cord blood bank like LifebankUSA, you ensure that your child has access to a 100% HLA match if he or she needs a stem cell transplant. In addition, your baby’s stem cells have the possibility of providing a good match for a close family member.
5. You’ll be banking on the future of emerging research
Breakthroughs in stem cell research are occurring every day, and banking your child’s cord blood may be an investment in the future. Researchers are already studying the effects that cord blood stem cells have on spinal cord injury, brain injury, type 1 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.8,9,10,11
6. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
Cord blood is one of the richest sources of stem cells in the human body, and it can only be collected at birth. Cord blood banking is your only chance to capture the powerful cord blood stems cells unique to your child.
As a parent, you are committed to doing everything you can to protect and nurture your baby. Banking your child’s cord blood with LifebankUSA can provide you with peace of mind and possible significant benefits for your baby – and your family – for many years to come. Cord blood has the potential to provide for your baby’s ongoing good health, and choosing to bank cord blood preserves this world of possibility. Download the LifebankUSA Guidebook to learn about our unique cord blood banking options, or contact us to speak with a cord blood banking expert today.
1 Ballen KK, Gluckman E, Broxmeyer HE. Umbilical cord blood transplantation: the first 25 years and beyond. Blood. 2013;122(4):491-498.
2 Parents Guide to Cord Blood. Cord Blood Encyclopedia. http://parentsguidecordblood.org/press/ Accessed September 12, 2015.
3 Gluckman E, Rocha V. Donor selection for unrelated cord blood transplants. Curr Opin Immunol. 2006; 18 (5):565-570.
4 Schoemans H, Theunissen K, Maertens J, et al. Adult umbilical cord blood transplantation: a comprehensive review. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2006;38(2):83-93.
5 Kamani N, Spellman S, Hurley CK, et al. State of the art review: HLA matching and outcome of unrelated donor umbilical cord blood transplants. Bio l Blood Marrow Transplant. 2008;14(1):1-6.
6 Parents Guide to Cord Blood. Cord Blood Encyclopedia. http://parentsguidecordblood.org/reasons/ Accessed September 12, 2015.
7 Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Description of HLA. http://www.seattlecca.org/description-of-hla.cfm, Accessed September 12, 2015.
8 Jazedje T, Secco M, Vieira NM, et al. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood do have myogenic potential, with and without differentiation induction in vitro. J Transl Med. 2009;7:6.
9 Harris DT. Non-haematological uses of cord blood stem cells. Br J Haematol. 2009;147(2):177-184.
10 Harris DT, Badowski M, Ahmad N, Gaballa MA. The potential of cord blood stem cells for use in regenerative medicine. Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2007;7(9):1311-1322.
11 Dasari VR, Spomar DG, Li L, Gujrati M, Rao JS, Dinh DH. Umbilical cord blood stem cell mediated downregulation of Fas improves functional recovery of rats after spinal cord injury. Neurochem Res. 2008;33(1):134-149.
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