For Families

Why Store Cord Blood?

Thanks to stem cells found in a baby’s umbilical cord blood, scientists believe that one day nearly every disease known to man could be treated and cured. It’s a future that Xytex Cord Blood Bank foresees for families. 

When parents choose to bank their baby’s cord blood, they are choosing to make an investment in their family’s future. Cord blood currently has the ability to treat numerous diseases — including cancer, genetic disorders and immune deficiencies — but research is finding more applications every day, with especially promising work in the field of regenerative medicine. In regenerative medicine, new blood vessels, tissues, even organs like the heart or liver could be regrown from a baby’s cord blood stem cells and later transplanted without fear of rejection.

While saving cord blood is a personal decision that is different for every family, certain families may want to consider the question even more carefully. These include families with:

• A history of cancer or genetic disease. As cancer rates continue to rise, this disease is a risk even for those without a family history. But by storing your child’s cord blood stem cells, families can help ensure a viable treatment option down the road, should it ever be needed.
• A child with cancer or genetic disease. Sibling-to-sibling donations of cord blood stem cells, particularly in the cases of children with leukemia, are often a perfect match. And a New England Journal of Medicine study has found that the one-year survival rate for recipients of cord blood from related donors is 63 percent, compared to only 29 percent for recipients of cord blood from unrelated donors.
• A child with only one genetically related parent (via surrogacy or reproductive tissue donation) or if a parent was adopted. In this case, cord blood stem cell storage may offer the best opportunity for a perfect match.

Research in the use of stem cells has often focused on embryonic stem cells, raising multiple ethical issues. In contrast, cord blood stem cells are obtained from the umbilical cord following a baby’s birth and are free of ethical issues. Birth is the one chance to save and store these valuable stem cells that more often than not are simply thrown away.

After they are collected and processed, cord blood stem cells are cryogenically preserved and stored at Xytex’s Augusta site. With no “expiration date,” these stem cells are readily available whenever they are needed.

Many would-be parents may be completely unaware that they have the option to save their child’s cord blood. Our goal is to help educate parents on the benefits of cord blood banking so they can make the best choice for their family.