Most of the couples think that whether they must store the cord blood of their baby or not? Cord blood banking may not initially appear to carry enough magnitude among various other crucial decisions; however, a close look at the various pros and cons of cord blood preservation may help informed decision-making.

Umbilical cord blood was once thrown away as medical waste, but now stem cells contained in this cord blood are stored to treat various diseases. Doctors prefer to use blood in therapies for stem cell transplantation. It’s because a new host is more tolerant of this blood and can be used without complete matching.

By choosing to preserve the umbilical cord, your child will be eligible for autologous treatment, including cancers such as neuroblastoma. The cord blood cells of the child may be used for type-1 diabetes and cerebral palsy in phase II clinical trials. The cells may also be used in a sibling to treat inherited genetic diseases. If a child needs a donor, a family member’s cells can be used as an allogeneic transplant.

Cord blood cells are more likely to match the genetic type of family members than the stem cells from the bone marrow. Research has shown that both parents and siblings have 25 percent higher chances of matching with newborn cord blood cells. In addition, in the treatment of various malignancies, immune diseases, metabolic disorders, the importance of therapeutic benefits found in cord blood cells is strongly felt. Benefits are still starting to emerge through scientific advances and are providing more parents in a cord blood banking facility to recognize cord blood storage, particularly when it is absolutely harmless and painless!

Umbilical cord blood contains stem cells that your family can preserve and use in the future to treat and cure diseases, as well as devastating injuries. More and more research is being carried out on medical treatments using stem cells of a newborn. There are currently over 70 diseases, including leukemia and other cancers, which have proved beneficial to stem cells.

If you decide to bank the cord blood of your newborn, these stem cells will be preserved and stored specifically for the future use of your family if necessary. When your baby is delivered, there is a small window of opportunity for your doctor to remove the blood from the umbilical cord. It’s painless and your newborn or you are not at risk. Once the cord blood is collected, it is sent to the processing facility of your choice for stem cell preservation. It’s a simple process, but a major investment in your family’s future health and well-being.

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Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent stem cells which can give rise to various types of cells that builds up a human body. The embryonic cells are formed from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst and the blastocyst is the early stage of the embryo before the implantation. Adult stem cells have demonstrated an effective human therapeutic potential. Currently, human embryonic stem cells are used principally for understanding growth and disease development but also hold enormous medicinal potential.

The capability to preserve stem cells is difficult for their use in medical applications. The benefits of stem cell preservation allow the movement of cells between sites, as well as completion of safety and quality testing. Preservation allows the development of a ‘manufacturing paradigm’ for cell therapies, thereby maximizing the number of products that can be produced at a given facility

Let Us Explore the Benefits Of Preserving Stem Cells

1. It Can Save Life

Umbilical cord blood is an extremely rich source of stem cells that are used to treat more than 80 life threatening diseases and disorders – including cancer, blood disorders, immune system disorders, and genetic diseases. Stem cells can also rebuild the immune system after chemotherapy and be used as an alternative to a bone marrow transplant.

2. Cord Blood Stem Cells Will Always Be a Perfect Match for Your Baby

There are no ifs or buts about this.

Stem cells can help to repair or rebuild injured or damaged cells for your child and potentially other family members too.

3. Cord Blood Stem Cells Have Potential Sibling/Family Use

There’s a 1:4 (25%) chance of being a perfect match for a sibling. With cord blood transplants, it is however not always necessary to have a perfect match and, depending, for example, on the number of stem cells in the collection, a lesser match may be acceptable.

4. Stem Cell Research is Revealing Exciting Future Uses

Science is progressing every day. There are already a number of clinical trials which are being undertaken with umbilical cord blood and cord tissue stem cells – these include clinical trials for blood disorders, as well as for neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism, stroke, anoxic and traumatic brain injury, for diabetes and, for example, for muscle repair and arthritis.

5. Umbilical Cord Stem Cells Have Greater Therapeutic Potential

Umbilical cord stem cells are young and active in comparison with stem cells from other sources like the bone marrow which mean that they can differentiate faster. Think of it as the master template!

The umbilical cord blood stem cells are also more ‘immunologically naïve’ than bone marrow stem cells as they have not been exposed to outside immune stimulation (such as infections). In allogeneic transplants (such as between siblings) they are less likely to cause the transplant-related complication of graft-versus-host disease.

Another important reason to store at birth is that your baby’s stem cells will be collected and ready to use immediately if necessary. There is no need to take the time to locate a possible donor for bone marrow and then determine whether he or she is still willing and able to donate if required for a sibling transplant.

A 1 in a 100 000 chance isn’t enough – depending on a person’s tissue type, the chance of finding a bone marrow donor may be less than 1 in a 100 000.

6. You Can Store Your Baby’s Stem Cells For 20 Years or More

Stem cells are stored in special cryo-preservation bags which are overwrapped and placed, individually, in aluminium protective cases. Each sample is labelled with a unique identifying code and stored, in a cryo-preservation tank, in the vapour phase of liquid nitrogen (at approximately minus 196°c). Evidence shows that after 23 years of preservation at these world-class standards, stem cells are still healthy and good to use. Therefore, it is conceivable that these cells will be stored for many years in the future – making it a lasting gift to your children that could even be passed on to grandkids.

7. You Have An Option of Storing Your Baby’s Stem Cells Locally or Internationally

If you are moving countries, you can chat to stem cell banks about moving the storage somewhere close to you. It can be shipped in their frozen state anywhere in the world. You would, however, be liable for the cost of the relocation.

The use of stem cells to treat injury or disorders by introducing healthy cells to damaged tissues has been considered a medical breakthrough and nowadays it has become the best possible treatment for a wide range of diseases. These include the treatment of some deadly diseases whose cure is not being discovered yet. So, before getting too late let us save the umbilical cord and preserve it for further use.

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A man’s role during his partner’s pregnancy and the subsequent birth is crucial to the health and happiness of both mother and baby. His role is underlined even more when deciding to bank the baby’s stem cells.

Pregnancy is an exhilarating time for an expectant mother, even as her body undergoes dramatic changes and she encounters new challenges regularly. The changes are sometimes difficult for first time mothers, because they do not know what is ‘normal’ during the pregnancy and what requires a doctor’s immediate assistance. Hence, pregnancy can be frightening and joyful all at once.

The myriad of emotions a woman goes through are compounded if she has to work through the pregnancy alone, without much assistance from her partner. However, it must be stated that a man certainly cannot comprehend the bodily changes his partner goes through, and hence, he may not be immediately empathetic towards the same. He may understand that his partner feels afraid, nauseous, heavy and moody all the time. But a careful study of what a woman’s body goes through (and why) and how she needs assistance to alleviate the many symptoms of pregnancy can help her sail through one of the most testing times in her life.

As we celebrate Father’s day, here are some tips for all would-be fathers to ease their transition into fatherhood.

Understanding the Changes

Start by researching how the foetus develops in the mother’s body week after week. You will be astounded to learn that the unborn baby grows every single week and his progress can be charted through a sonogram or ultrasound. From a pinhead size to larger than a melon, the baby – and his mother – progress through the various growth stages together.

In the early weeks, the woman can feel tired all the time, as well as suffer frequent bouts of nausea. Certain smells and tastes can make her vomit, so know what these are and help her avoid them at all costs. Most women feel their energy returning in the second trimester, after which they are able to cook, clean, go grocery shopping, attend office and do all the things they have always done. However, it is nice to ease the strain on her by taking on these chores – lifting heavy bags will ease her back, doing the cooking will keep her away from smells that nauseate her, and going shopping, handling the laundry, and letting her sleep for longer periods of time will keep her healthy for longer.

If necessary, you can take her out for walks or help her in her exercises. Your involvement will keep her motivated and she will feel supported as well. The same applies to her doctor’s visits – accompany her whenever you can so that you can get first-hand information on her pregnancy and the baby’s vitals. Plus, you can ask any questions you have that will help both mother and child get through the pregnancy better. Learn her medication chart and replenish her meds when needed so that she does not need to make frequent pharmacy runs.

Banking the Baby’s Stem Cells

This is an area that requires the father’s involvement because the woman cannot decide to do this alone. The parents must decide together if they wish to opt for their baby’s stem cells preservation. The father must conduct due research on the subject, even visit a few private cord blood banks if necessary. The decision to preserve the baby’s stem cells must be taken after due consideration of many factors – is there an incurable genetic condition in the family, and which can be treated with stem cells in the future? Or does the couple wish to bank the cord blood cells for the baby’s sibling or a close relative? Or does the couple simply wish for their child to have a healthy life, free of many types of serious cancers, haematological (blood-related) and immune-deficiency disorders? Umbilical cord blood cells show great promise in treating as many as 80 serious disorders, and the list of stem cell treatable diseases is ever growing, so both parents need to choose the right cord blood bank and authorise their attending physician to collect the cord blood immediately after the baby’s birth.

When choosing a cord blood bank, research their various plans and study each bank’s agreement carefully. If possible, visiting their cryogenic storage facilities would be a good idea. The blood bank stores the unit of cord blood stem cells for a period of 21 years against an annual fee. If at a future date, there is a diagnosis within immediate family members which is treatable using stem cells, the parents can retrieve the cord blood unit with written authorisation from their doctor.

Helping After the Birth

The birth process is gruelling enough, but the mother’s body takes days to slowly return to normal. The uterus contracts slowly and may cause some amount of mild cramping and discomfort. Some women also undergo postpartum depression, which might make them morose and tearful all the time. It is advisable that the male partner takes on the baby’s responsibilities as early as possible.

Getting the baby adjusted to her new life, spending long periods of time with her so that she is happy to be picked up and comforted and attending to her during the night if she cries will all help the woman rest and recoup after the pregnancy. Other duties include preparing nutritious meals for the woman so that her body recovers well and she is able to generate sufficient milk for the infant. She might also need assistance in other chores around the house – taking care of the house while she attends to the baby is very helpful. While she may not appreciate the man treating her like an invalid, it is enough to know that he is at hand to help her when she needs him.

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