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 Future thinking applies to more than monetary decisions. For example, thanks to a process known as cord blood banking, parents can invest in their family’s future, and this investment can have lifesaving consequences. What is cord blood banking? With cord blood banking, the blood that remains in a newborn baby’s umbilical cord and placenta is preserved. This blood contains stem cells that can be used to create a variety of healthy tissue types for future use. This tissue has the potential to treat some cancers, diseases of the immune system, metabolic disorders and genetically related maladies such as sickle cell anemia. Donated cord blood is stored in “banks” for anyone who needs it. A network of public blood banks accepts the blood to be used by selected patients, and transplant doctors can later use the blood to care for patients needing stem cell therapy. But what if you want your baby’s blood to be used ONLY by your baby or another family member? Isn’t there a way to ensure that your baby’s first investment will pay off in HER future? Enter the private cord blood bank For a fee, a private cord blood bank, such as Irvine-based PacifiCord, will collect, process, freeze and store a baby’s cord blood for a family’s future use. If years from now a family member needs a stem cell procedure to treat a serious, and potentially fatal, disease – including leukemia, lymphomas and immune deficiencies, among others – the baby’s cord blood will be a good match. “Generally speaking, cord blood provides a 100 percent genetic match for the baby being born,” says Tammy Fago, marketing and client services manager of PacifiCord. “It’s the purest form of the stem cells to be used later in life.” Public blood cord banks don’t store donations to be used by a specific individual or family. “It’s difficult to find a good match from another source,” says Fago. “This can take precious time. And if you receive cord blood that doesn’t match, it can be fatal.” The future is now Stem cells extracted from cord blood hold the potential to treat some 80 different diseases in the future, says Fago. Quantum leaps will be made in regenerative medicine, gene therapy and tissue engineering. Once these miracles become a reality, parents who banked their baby’s cord blood will be best served, say proponents of the procedure. According to PacifiCord, more than 3,000 clinical trials are studying the application of stem-cell therapy to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, stroke, spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, and heart and liver disease, among a host of other serious maladies. Giving the green, getting the goods Unlike giving birth, donating cord blood is a painless and simple five-minute process. “The expecting mom or dad decides they want to bank [cord blood],” says Fago. “They receive a collection kit that contains the supplies that the physician or midwife will need.” Once the baby is born, the blood is removed from the placenta and umbilical cord. It is then stored ASAP for safekeeping by the cord blood bank. What does it cost? According to babycenter.com, the enrollment and collection fees of private banks can range from roughly $775 to $2,150. Additional annual storage fees range from about $85 to $150. When it comes to cash outlay, says Fago, “What’s more important? A potential cure for future diseases or a new couch?” The answer should be a no-brainer – at least to any savvy investor. pacificord.com ≈ ≈ ≈ DECISIONS, DECISIONS Now that you’ve decided to save your baby’s cord blood for future peace of mind, what are some of the questions to ask prospective cord blood banks? Here are a few to consider: • Has the bank registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and has it met all of the necessary state regulatory requirements? • Is the bank accredited by the AABB (American Association of Blood Banks) or the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy? • How does the bank store its cord blood? Does it use up-to-date technology to do so? • How experienced is the cord blood bank? Have they used their clients’ blood for successful use? • Is the cord blood bank financially stable? Has it been profitable? Source: babycenter.com ≈ ≈ ≈ QUALITY STORAGE Why bother harvesting your baby’s cord blood if the bank you use can’t keep it viable for future use? Irvine-based PacifiCord uses a state-of-the-art storage system that has proved to provide peace of mind through high-quality stem cell preservation. The company’s BioArchive System: • Uses 100 percent liquid nitrogen • Is designed specifically for cord blood storage • Maintains a precise and consistent freezing level (versus traditional tank systems that have temperature fluctuations) • Includes a robot storage-and-retrieval system to eliminate human error during this process • Has a 94 percent post-thaw cell-use-viability rate • Uses a backup system that’s monitored 24/7 |
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