Why Do Parents Store Cord Blood Stem Cells?

If this concept is new to you, don’t worry – we are here to answer your questions. Learn about the amazing benefits and understand why more and more parents are choosing to invest in their child’s future with stem cell preservation. Let’s dive into the essentials and explore how this innovative decision could make a world of difference.

How did you find out about stem cell storage? 

Thanks to the lifesaving stem cell treatments that cord blood can be used for, a huge number of medical professionals are more than willing to share information with their patients about us and our service. From an internal client survey, we have discovered that over a third of our clients were informed for the first time about cord blood stem cell collection by their consultant or midwife.

A further fifth of our families have already stored their older child’s cord blood stem cells with us. We highly value their loyalty! Their fantastic experiences with us mean that they come back time and again to make sure that they give their families the best protection possible. A perfect example of this is Vogue Williams who has stored for both her children with us and shared about it in Hello! Magazine.

Finally, another fifth of our clients have been recommended to us by friends and family. We’re always so pleased to find out that people have loved their experience with us so much that their relatives and BFFs get in contact!

What are cord blood stem cells used for?

Stem cells are special cells that have the potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. They are found in umbilical cord blood, which is the blood remaining in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth. Umbilical cord blood stem cells (UCSCs) are immature and can mature into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. 

There are stem cell treatments for more than 80 diseases currently, but the research is always advancing meaning that there are plenty of promising treatments underway for even more. These precious cells can be used to treat a variety of diseases including leukaemia, sickle cell anaemia, Parkinson’s, cerebral palsy and more.

Why umbilical cord stem cells?

Umbilical cord stem cells have several advantages over other types of stem cells:

• They are readily available at birth. Unlike bone marrow stem cells, which require a more invasive procedure to collect, UCSCs can be collected easily and painlessly during childbirth.
• They are less likely to be rejected by the recipient. UCSCs are immature and have a lower risk of causing graft-versus-host disease than stem cells from adults or bone marrow.
• They can be stored for a long time. UCSCs can be frozen and stored for many years. We store these precious cells for potential stem cell treatments for 25 years, but there are ongoing studies to show that they can last even longer.

The decision of whether or not to store your child’s umbilical cord stem cells is a personal one. There are many factors to consider, such as the cost of storage, the likelihood that your child will need a stem cell transplant, and your own personal beliefs. You can discuss this decision with your doctor to see if storing umbilical cord stem cells is right for you. This blog post might help you answer some of those questions. 

Storing cord blood stem cells is an insurance policy for your child’s future health. You may never need to use your child’s cord blood stem cells, but having them stored gives you peace of mind knowing that they are available if needed.