July is one of our favorite times of year. Why? Because it’s time to celebrate Cord Blood Awareness Month and spread the word about the awesome superpowers of newborn stem cells.
We’ve put together answers to some common questions you or friends and family may have about newborn stem cell preservation. Spread your new knowledge by sharing this article!
Q: What is cord blood?
A: When your baby is born, the blood left inside the umbilical cord is very special. It contains powerful hematopoietic stem cells, which have a 30-year history of helping to save lives through transplant medicine.1
There’s also exciting research using cord blood for regenerative medicine, which aims to harness the powerful cells inside to help the body heal itself.
Q: What is cord tissue?
A: Your baby’s umbilical cord is made of tissue. This tissue is home to several cell types, including mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which scientists think may be great at acting like a body’s emergency medical team.
Umbilical cord tissue is chock-full of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), one of the most widely researched cell types in the rapidly evolving area of regenerative medicine.1
Why are scientists so jazzed about MSCs? Because MSCs have the ability to respond to inflammation and help repair tissue damage primarily by communicating with other cells in the body via sending and receiving signals.2
Q: What is newborn stem cell preservation?
A: Both cord blood and cord tissue are rich sources of powerful stem cells. Newborn stem cell preservation is the process of saving the blood and tissue from the umbilical cord, after birth, for potential future use.
Watch this video to learn more about the superpowers of cord blood.
Q: What makes newborn stem cells superheroes?
Cord blood stem cells have been used in the treatment of over 80 conditions as part of a stem cell transplant.
Today, stem cell research continues to evolve, bringing new hope to patients and their families.
In fact, more than 500 CBR families have already used their preserved cord blood in a stem cell transplant or investigational setting. Here’s a list of the conditions their stem cells were used for.
Q: Who can potentially use my newborn’s cord blood?
A: Use depends on a number of factors and is determined by the treating doctor. One of those factors is genetic matching.
While most cord blood stem cell transplants require that the stem cells be from a matched donor (like a matched sibling), the individual’s own stem cells may be used for certain conditions, especially in the investigational field of regenerative medicine.
In fact, every child is unique and is a perfect genetic match to their own newborn stem cells. Full siblings have up to a 75% chance of being at least a partial genetic match. Parents are always a partial match.
In general, the stronger the match, the better the outcome.3 Depending on the condition being treated, a physician may look to use a child’s own stem cells or may prefer to use those from a partial or full matched donor, like a sibling.
Read about it here, or watch this fun video.
Q: What does newborn stem cell preservation cost?
A: We have a one-time processing fee for cord blood and cord tissue of $2,820, which includes shipping and the first year of storage. After the first year, the annual storage fee is $350.*
The best part? There’s no payment due until after birth!
We believe that every family should have the opportunity to preserve their baby’s newborn stem cells. That’s why we offer flexible payment options starting at $47 per month.
How much could you save on newborn stem cell preservation? Click here to see our latest promotion for Cord Blood Awareness Month.
And through our Newborn Possibilities Program, families with a qualifying medical need will receive cord blood processing and five years of storage for cord blood and cord tissue at no cost. We’ve helped over 8,000 families so far!
Pro tip: Add cord blood banking to your gift registry list 😉
Q: How do I preserve my baby’s cord blood with CBR?
A: It’s easy! Follow these 5 simple steps:
- Enroll with CBR online at cordblood.com/enroll, or call us at 1.888.240.1996
- Wait for your collection kit (we’ll ship it to you).
- Bring your kit to the hospital or birthing center on your big day.
- Call the medical courier after your baby is born and the cord blood has been collected by your healthcare professional.
- Let CBR handle the rest. We will notify you when your newborn’s stem cells are safely stored in their new home!
Watch the entire process here!
Questions? Give our specialists a call at 1.888.240.1996
1.Ballen K. Update on umbilical cord blood transplantation. F1000Res. 2017;6:1556. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.11952.1. 2. Wei X, Yang X, Han ZP, Qu FF, Shao L, Shi YF. Mesenchymal stem cells: a new trend for cell therapy. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2013;34(6):747-54. 3. Baraniak PR, McDevitt TC. Stem cell paracrine actions and tissue regeneration. Regen Med. 2010;5(1):121–143. doi:10.2217/rme.09.74 4. Crocchiolo R, Ciceri F, Fleischhauer K, et al. HLA matching affects clinical outcome of adult patients undergoing haematopoietic SCT from unrelated donors: A study from the Gruppo Italiano Trapianto di Midollo Osseo and Italian Bone Marrow Donor Registry. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2009; 44(9): 571-577.