Stem cells are the building blocks of life. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are widely used as a replacement for bone marrow transplants in cancers.

he umbilical cord’s stem cells have also been used in a range of other blood and metabolic diseases.

There is of course only a small chance that your child might become sick and require stem cell therapy and in that event it is possible you will be able to get a match from unrelated sources.

That is why the NHS offers the chance for some Parents to donate their cord blood in a small number of hospitals. The evidence for umbilical cord blood transplants vs bone marrow transplants is encouraging and leading to a preferred treatment with umbilical cord blood stem cells.

Perfectly Matched
However not everyone can get a match and that is why the other option is available for expectant parents to store their own child’s cord blood stem cells for the family use. The advantage of storing your child’s cord blood is that it is a perfectly matched source of stem cells which will be available exclusively for your own use and most importantly it will be available quickly. It also has a 1 in 4 chance of being a perfect match to a sibling.

This is important because some diseases are genetic and reinserting stem cells with a predisposition is not advisable by Physicians. However the availability of a sibling, both in terms of the speed of getting the sample and the highly increased levels of match are a real alternative option to relying on donated samples.

What are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are a unique type of growth cell. They are unspecialised early cells that can grow into specific cells that make up our tissues, bodies and vital organs.

There are five main sources where stem cells have been isolated from: Embryo, Foetal liver and spleen, Cord blood, Bone marrow, Peripheral blood.