Storing your newborn’s umbilical cord stem cells at birth is a great way to invest in their future and help protect their health for years to come. Here Smart Cells explains what umbilical cord stem cell storage is and why it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to safeguard your child’s future.
Cord blood stem cell therapy has huge medical benefits and has been successfully used to treat over 80 different diseases including leukaemia and lymphoma, sickle cell disease and immune disorders.
First used in the 1980s, stem cell research has been key in helping scientists to learn about different diseases, and as medical techniques and machines advance, stem cells are now being used to help treat and in research towards treating a wide range of health issues including type 1 diabetes, autism and Alzheimer’s disease.
We don’t know what will happen in the future and what your newborn will face through their life, but should the worst happen and they develop a health disorder, it is reassuring to know that you will have these stem cells stored that may help to treat them.
The procedure of collecting and storing your newborn’s umbilical cord stem cells is risk-free and simple. Most importantly it is non-invasive and painless.
The process of collecting umbilical cord stem cells is easy. As soon as your baby has been delivered successfully, the umbilical cord is clamped and cut. Blood is then removed from the umbilical cord with a needle.
It only takes a couple of minutes to extract the blood and the sample is then immediately transported to a dedicated laboratory or cord blood bank where it is processed and frozen for storage. The whole process from start to finish is complete within 72 hours meaning that the stem cells are in the best possible condition.
Should you ever need access to stem cell therapy for your child’s health issues, retrieving them is straightforward. Simply contact the storage facility and provide consent for them to communicate with your doctor. Once arrangements have been made, the cells are prepared and delivered on the date of treatment.
The stem cells are thawed under strict guidelines at the clinic or hospital where the procedure is taking place, meaning that the cells are in the best possible condition.
Stem cell storage is a gift for a lifetime, and once the cells are frozen, they can be stored for many decades. Cryogenically preserved stem cells have no expiration date, and frozen umbilical cord blood can be frozen and stored indefinitely. This means that your child, or even their siblings in some cases, can have access to these valuable stem cells at any time of their life.
With all of the uncertainties in the world today, stem cell storage is a quick and easy way of safeguarding your child’s future, and with the continued advances in the medical field, scientists and doctors are continuing to find ways of optimising stem cells to treat an array of different diseases and disorders.
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