Baby Cord Blood Banking - What and Why

Baby Cord Blood Banking - What and Why?

More and more expectant parents are opting to collect and store the umbilical cord tissue and blood left behind after their baby’s birth.

The reason is simple… umbilical cord blood and tissue are the richest, most powerful source of stem cells a person will ever have.

A baby’s birth represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to store these cells for later use, granting your newborn access to the cutting-edge treatments of tomorrow.

The science of stem cells

Stem cells are the future of regenerative medicine. They have the power to repair, regenerate and replace damaged tissue within the body and are already used to treat life-threatening conditions such as diabetes, autism, stroke and cerebral palsy.

Many scientific studies are underway to harness the potential of stem cells to manage and potentially cure currently untreatable diseases. There have already been promising results in studies for conditions such as multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease.

In years to come, medical science will be able to replace damaged body parts with stem cells to actively facilitate regeneration.  We can grow new tissues and organs, extending and improving life.

The science of cord blood

Today, cord blood stem cells are used in therapies for more than 85 conditions worldwide – from brain injuries to arthritis, stroke to spinal cord damage.

In future, the applications of cord blood samples will continue to grow. There are more than 5,000 clinical trials currently investigating the effect of stem cell treatments on other debilitating conditions.

The power of your child’s cord blood

Your child’s cord blood stem cells are their perfect biological match – which means their body won’t reject them if and when they need a transplant.

Because of this, many parents see the collection and storage of cord blood as a way to protect their newborn and this protection actually extends to the whole family. Siblings have a 1 in 4 chance of the sample being a perfect match for a transplant and an additional 50% chance it will be a partial match.

Parents will also always be a partial match, which means you may be able to use your child’s sample for certain treatments.

Cord blood banking and your birth choices

Stem cell collection with Cells4Life is fully compatible with almost any birth choice, including natural delivery, C-sections and placenta encapsulation.

The collection process is quick, simple and completely safe for you and your baby. The procedure takes place in a separate room after your baby has been delivered and the cord has been cut and clamped.

Cord blood collection and delayed or optimal cord clamping

Cord blood collection is only sometimes possible with delayed or optimal cord clamping.

With standard processing methods, delayed or optimal cord clamping reduces the amount of blood available for cord blood collection after birth. Sometimes, this means that there may not be enough blood left for processing or therapeutic use.

However, Cells4Life’s unique processing technology TotiCyte is capable of processing even the smallest volumes of blood while delivering 3 times more stem cells at the point of treatment.

A sample collected with TotiCyte is comparable to a much larger sample processed using any other technology.

Storing a baby’s stem cell sample is quick, simple, and safe. 15 minutes could make all the difference to your child’s future by opening the door to more opportunities and therapies throughout their life.

Cells4Life

Founded in 2002, Cells4Life is the UK’s largest cord blood bank and serves more UK-based families than all other banks combined.

This is because of their unique, patented CellsPlus service. Powered by TotiCyte, CellsPlus maintains 3 times more stem cells at the point of treatment than any other system – which means there are more opportunities for multiple therapies throughout life.