Cord Blood Developments

The Apgar test is used by obstetricians and midwives as a way to capture a brief glance into a newborn’s general health in intervals of one minute, five minutes, and ten minutes after birth to determine if immediate medical intervention is needed. We help you understand what the Apgar score means and how umbilical cord stem cells could play a role in the equation.
 

Recently, there has been a proliferation of start-up companies to cryogenically preserve the blood of adults for future use. These companies have come under recent scrutiny after the International Society of Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) issued a consumer alert. What did the ISCT determine? In a nutshell, storing adult stem cells for future use is unwise. We support the ruling of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and ISCT’s stance. Let’s address the what, how, and why.

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a type of congenital heart disease which affects 1 to 3 of every 10,000 children. Treatment for this condition consists of three rounds of surgery. However, clinical trials in regenerative medicine are being explored for alternative forms of treatment that are less invasive. The answer may lie in cord blood stem cells.

When it comes to parenthood, expecting parents have many questions and concerns as to what is best for their little one. Cord blood banking should be an aspect of consideration. Many understand the importance of umbilical cord stem cells and the potential these cells hold, but may still have some reservations about cord blood banking. We are here to answer the top five, lesser-known, questions about cord blood banking to help you make an informed decision.

Public cord blood banks are facing some unique challenges with sustainability, donor diversity, and financial woes, which are forcing many public cord blood banks to shut down their facilities. With looming problems ahead, some people question the long-term future of the public banking sector. Let’s take a look at some of the issues that plague the public banking system and outline the unique benefits of private cord blood banking.
 

July is Cord Blood Awareness Month, and cord blood education is the first step to helping parents make a fundamental decision for the future of their families by banking their child's cord blood. We want to answer the top three questions people have about cord blood banking, and to share some tips on how you can do your part to spread awareness on this often-misunderstood topic.

The odds of needing one's own cord blood are likely to rise in the future as new discoveries are made for the treatment of certain diseases with cord blood.

A recent study demonstrates how moms and dads may be closer to using their baby’s stored cord blood as a standard treatment in blood cancers and other diseases.

There are a number of ways that your doctor or midwife may not be able to get a large volume of cord blood. Let's looks at the factors that have been shown to negatively and positively affect the volume of cord blood collected.

Cord blood banking is as much for the baby as it is for existing and future additions to the family. This is because there is not only an opportunity for the baby to use his or her own cord blood but also an increased chance it can be used by a brother, sister or other immediate family member as well.