Banking child’s umbilical cord stem cells gives Parents Peace of Mind

“You’re Pregnant!” two of the sweetest words to someone wanting to become a parent.

It’s at this moment, parents-to-be start thinking about all of the things they can do to have a healthy pregnancy and ensuring their baby is born healthy. They might also start contemplating other important issues for their baby’s future welfare– life insurance, wills and savings for post-secondary education. Hearing those two sweet words marks the beginning of a lifetime of planning.

Within that vast list of topics to research is often the matter of Cord Blood Banking. Cord Blood is the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord after the baby is born. Cord Blood is a rich source of stem cells that are the building block of our blood and immune systems. Presently, it is estimated that cord blood stem cells can be used in the treatment of over 80 different life-threatening illnesses ranging from different types of cancer to blood, immune and metabolic disorders. (Complete list of treatable diseases – http://www.createcordbank.com/treatable_diseases.html ). There are on-going clinical trials using cord blood to treat Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes Type 1, Cerebral Palsy, Autism and other diseases. Thousands and thousands of children and even adults have already benefited from cord blood transplantation all over the world.

For many parents-to-be this topic can be overwhelming and emotional as no parent wants to think about the possibility of having a child who would one day require the use of stem cells.  But banking cord blood is like buying health insurance for your family.

“We wanted to store our children’s cord blood because, to us, it was like purchasing insurance,” explains Monica La Vella. “You hope you will never need to use it, but if you do, you know it’s there. If doing so meant that there was a possibility to save their life or reduce effects of an illness, it only made sense to take advantage of this option. In my opinion, it should be mandatory, like car insurance!”

In addition to banking your baby’s cord blood sample, there is an emerging technology called Peristem^TM that allows you to bank the stem cells found in the cord tissue. Peristem^TM stem cells, also known as Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), are the building blocks of the structural tissues of our bodies (bone, cartilage, muscle, fibre and fat). Peristem^TM has the potential to be used in the treatment of many different medical conditions, such as heart disease, degenerative arthritis, Diabetes Type 1, Crohn’s disease and tissue repair in cases of burns and birth defects. Research is ongoing using MSC for all of these conditions. Umbilical cord tissue is the richest source of MSC’s ever discovered. In addition, using both Cord Blood and Peristem^TM stem cells together could allow doctors to treat an even wider range of diseases and could enhance current treatment such as bone marrow transplantation.  The preservation of Peristem^TM stem cells is at the forefront of stem cell technology and holds great promise in the Regenerative Medicine Field. Peristem^TM service is offered exclusively in Canada at CReATe Cord Blood Bank.

It is true that Cord Blood and Peristem^TM banking is an investment in a child’s future, but just how do parents decide where to bank their child’s stem cells? How do they find the bank that is best for their family? When choosing where to store a child’s stem cells, it is important to research the technology and storage facility thoroughly.

The laboratory and storage facilities are good indicators of the bank’s commitment to quality, safety and security of cord blood stem cell samples.  CReATe operates in a state-of-the-art, multi-million dollar stem cell processing facility in downtown Toronto. This facility is the FIRST of its kind in Canada to offer Cord Blood and Peristem^TM processing in a `clean room’:  a controlled environment that has low levels of pollutants such as dust, airborne microbes, aerosol particles, and chemical vapors.

CReATe’s facility features:

• AABB (American Association of Blood Banks) Accredited and Health Canada Registered Cord Blood Bank
• a cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) quality sterile clean room processing environment.
• BioArchive® robotic system – the gold standard for cryopreservation of cord blood.
• Round the clock monitoring of all critical equipment and cell processing environment.
• Located in a secure medical building in the heart of downtown Toronto and with easy access to all major hospitals.
• Highly skilled management and technical staff.
• On-site power and nitrogen back-up systems.

The decision to bank your baby’s precious Cord Blood and Peristem™ stem cells is a personal decision and it is important that you get all the information you need to make an informed decision that is right for your family.

We invite you to learn more about the compelling reasons for banking your baby’s Cord Blood and Peristem™ stem cells by visiting http://www.createcordbank.com/. It is a small investment in your family’s health that could someday yield an invaluable return.

Dr. Librach is the founder and director of the Create Fertility Centre and the Create Cord Blood Bank. Dr. Librach completed his medical school and Obsetrics and Gynecology residency training at the University of Toronto, followed by fellowship subspecialty training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) at the University of California. Dr. Librach is a board certified REI Specialist. He is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto and chief of the division of Reproductive biology at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the Women’s College Hospital in Toronto.