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Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat Every Expectant Parent Should Know About Cord Blood
The Nature of Cord BloodCord Blood Collection
Answers To Most Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat are my options regarding the disposition of my baby's umbilical cord blood? Expectant parents can:
Why should I have my baby's umbilical cord blood collected and preserved? Your baby's cord blood is rich in stem cells, which are special cells normally found in our bone marrow. Stem cells are the master cells responsible for producing all of the mature cells in our blood and immune system. They form the white cells that fight infection, the red cells that carry oxygen, the platelets that promote clotting and the cells of our immune systems. Because cord blood has a high incidence of these stem cells, they can easily be collected and cryopreserved in case they are needed later in life. Stem cell treatments and transplants have already been used for such wide-ranging diseases and conditions as cancer and leukemia, sickle cell disease, various forms of anemia and severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID's). Experimentation for expanded uses of stem cells holds great promise. Often, matched stem cells, which are necessary for transplant, are difficult to obtain, due to strict matching requirements. However, cells taken from your newborn are a guaranteed match for your baby for his or her lifetime. Additionally, they have at least a 1-in-4 chance of matching a sibling. Banking them at birth may provide future opportunities for medical treatments that may not otherwise exist.  What does this mean for the other children in the family? Outcome data shows that, if needed in the future, there is a greater chance for success in a stem cell transplant between siblings than with unrelated donors and recipients. Moreover, there is less chance for severe graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following transplantation. Approximately 60% of all pregnant women already have one or more children in the family. If you fall into this category, we strongly suggest you consider this important procedure. Many first time mothers are also planning to have additional children. While preserved specimens do not guarantee a match or a cure for every disease, new, evolving stem cell technologies are likely to increase the utilization of preserved specimens in the future. Is cord blood collection and preservation expensive? As parents, we want so very much to protect our children from all the dangers in the world; it is a privilege to be able to add this element of protection against some of the most devastating possibilities our children might face in their lifetimes. Each family makes financial decisions with its own set of values and competing needs and wants. However, our clients tell us that they look back on their decision to store their baby's umbilical cord blood stem cells as one of the most rewarding decisions they made. We see this in a very tangible way with the very high number of repeat clients we have. At Cryo-Cell, we adhere to the highest standards of quality, and quality workmanship does carry with it a price. With the increasingly promising research revealing the potential of future stem cell therapies for cardiac disease or neurological diseases, we believe that the value for the cost of collection and preservation of cord blood is increasing every day. What is the financial condition of Cryo-Cell Cord Blood Bank? Cryo-Cell is a stable and successful corporation. Cryo-Cell is a publicly traded company (OTC BB: Symbol CCEL). Our financial information is available on the Internet and filed with the SEC. In addition to our cell banking business, Cryo-Cell Cord Blood Bank has an equity position in Saneron CCEL Therapeutics, Inc., which has an agreement with the University of South Florida at Tampa for their research in treating neurologic degenerative diseases. Cryo-Cell has been granted the world marketing rights to any products developed as a result of this agreement. The Nature of Cord Blood Cord blood, or umbilical cord blood, is blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta at the time of birth. This blood has typically been discarded following delivery; however, medical science has demonstrated that cord blood is a rich source of stem cells, which can be collected, processed and cryogenically preserved for potential, future use. What makes cord blood stem cells unique? Cord blood stem cells have a number of significant advantages over other sources of stem cells (i.e., bone marrow):
In addition, cord blood is "privileged" or unexposed to most diseases, which can make bone marrow from an adult more difficult to use in transplantation. But most importantly, cord blood from your baby is a perfect match for your child, in the unlikely event it should ever be needed, and a 1-in-4 chance of matching a current or future sibling. It is important to note that a perfect match may not imply that the cells would be useful to treat certain diseases of the donor. When is the cord blood collected? Is the collection procedure risky or painful? Cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord immediately after the birth of the baby, and can be performed with either vaginal or cesarean section deliveries. The collection can only take place at the time of delivery, and, since a collection kit is necessary, advance arrangements must be made. There is absolutely no pain or risk to the mother or child during the collection process since the blood is harvested from the cord once it has been clamped and cut. How is the cord blood collected? Umbilical cord blood is easily collected by your caregiver using the U-Cord |
