“Other Stem Cell” could ensure baby’s future health

Much has been written about embryonic stem cells and the tremendous medical promise they may hold. However, the process of using these cells is still very much in the research stage and not presently used in medical treatments. However, the “other stem cells”-cord blood stem cells-which are extracted from the umbilical cord immediately following birth, are already being used with great success in transplants by doctors. After extraction, cord blood stem cells can be stored and used to treat diseases that the child may develop later in life. To date, these cells have been used to treat more than 69 conditions-including leukemia, various malignancies, lymphomas, immune deficiencies and genetic disorders. Heartwarming stories of thousands of successful transplants have encouraged many parents-to-be to bank their babies’ cord blood at birth as a preventative measure, should their child ever be faced with a life-threatening disease. “Umbilical cord blood contains stem cells that can create parts of blood, bone marrow, and components of the immune system, such as white blood cells,” explains Dr. Charles Sims, former Chief of Pathology at Century City Hospital in Los Angeles and founder of Family Cord Blood Services. Dr. Sims says that, as in most transplants, “matching” is key to cord blood transplant success. Therefore, children treated with their own cord blood have a 100 percent chance of a match. In addition, the odds for a sibling benefiting from his or her cord blood are also great. “That is why privately banking your own baby’s cord blood at birth is so important as a preventative measure toward the future health of your baby,” says Dr. Sims. His message has resonated with much of the country. Today, more and more parents are banking their own baby’s cord blood privately. Interest is so great that it has even reached the Senate floor, where several bills have been proposed to increase funding for cord blood stem cell research. The increased funding may help studies such as one recently completed by British and American researchers. It produced embryonic-like cells from umbilical cord blood, a discovery doctors say could create an opportunity to treat even more diseases that were once considered fatal. “Storing cord blood stem cells for your children gives them and the rest of your family the chance to benefit from medical advances in treating diseases that may develop down the road,” says Dr. Sims. For more information, call 800-400-3430, Ext. 3010 or visit the Web site www.familycordbloodservices. com/mat. Heartwarming stories of successful transplants have encouraged many parents to bank their babies’ cord blood as a preventative measure against disease.