Probably as a future mom or dad, you have heard about cord blood collection and stem cell storage. Unfortunately, you wouldn`t receive an advice from parents on this matter, unless they are doctors or scientists. When we were born, there was no widespread information about cellular medicine or advanced therapy not only in Baltic states, but in the world also. Although stem cells were discovered in the early 1900's, in medicine there were started to use since the 1950’s. Since the first umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant in 1988 much attention has been focused on stem cell storage and potential stem cell therapy applications. Funding for stem cell research has increased dramatically as confidence in the potential clinical benefits of stem cell therapy grows. So why is it worth to save umbilical cord blood cells, collected at the moment of birth, and what for they are needed?

1st reason

20 years ago the umbilical cord along with the placenta were simply discarded or dug under a tree after delivery. But today we know that umbilical cord blood is valuable because it contains stem cells. Nowadays, they can be used treating over 80 diseases. According to ongoing clinical studies, over the next few years, list of diseases treated with cord blood stem cells will grow at least 7 times.

2nd reason

Cord blood has been successfully used in transplant medicine for many dideases. A 100 mL of cord blood contains a number of nucleated and progenitor cells present in 1000 mL of bone marrow. And collection of cells from the umbilical cord is simpler and much more safe. 

3rd reason

Cord blood contains young, flexible, active and powerful stem cells that have been used to regenerate healthy blood and immune systems. These cells might be described as "cleanest", because cells are frozen until they are affected by the environment, which affects the quality of any cell in the body over time.

4th reason

Stem cells are a matterial for organ engenerring. Recent progress in stem cell biology has resulted in the generation of bioengineered blood vessels, heart valves, livers, kidneys, bladders, and airways. 

5th reason

The financial side. The bone marrow donor sample can cost around 40,000 euros (and that's only if donor is found among sibling). Immunologically suitable stem cell sample from foreign countries would cost around 20,000 euros wile umbilical cord blood collection and storage for 20 years costs 10 times cheaper.

For comparison, the umbilical cord blood collection, testing and 5 years storage cost like a family holiday abroad, but you can go on holidays at any time, while collect and store umbilical blood you can only once.

6th reason

Stored umbilical cord blood cells are 100 % suitable for a baby, and 75-25 % for the nearest relatives – parents, brothers, sisters. To find a bone marrow donor is very difficult - matching feature is from 1:1000 to 1:1 000 000. Available evidence also suggests that umbilical cord blood transplantation may be performed with greater degrees of HLA mismatch than for unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation, which increases the pool of potential transplant donors. 

7th reason

Cord blood stem cell collection procedure is simple. It doesn't cause any pain neither for baby nor mother. This procedure is performed by specially trained medical staff. Cord blood collection can be also performed during C-section.

8th reason

It is a readily available source of hematopoietic stem cells. Frozen cord blood can be easily shipped and thawed for use when needed, resulting in decreased time from initiation of a search to performing transplantation.

9th reason

After all, cord blood storage is the first diagnostics of child`s blood. Becouse as long as stem cells will be placed in long-term storage, cord blood sample will be examined for possible infection, and, in case of positive results, parents will be able to now it from te beginning. 

10th reason

If You choose to store your babys stem cells in or bank, you can be sure that the collected cord blood is processed and stored in accordance with the highest standards of NETCORD quality system and implemented quality management system.