You might already know some basics about cord blood and stem cell transplants. Cord blood is one source of cells that can form new, healthy blood cells. Cord blood cells are collected from the umbilical cord after a baby is born to be stored for use when it’s needed to treat any one of dozens of diseases and conditions. Did… Read More »Cord Blood Transplants 101
Some of the most successful results of umbilical cord blood stem cell treatment are related to blood disorders and diseases, including leukemia. Sometimes referred to as blood cancer, there are several types of leukemia, named for the kind of cell affected. The disease develops when blood cells produced in the bone marrow grow out of control.
More than 25,000 leukemia patients around the world have received cord blood transplants as a form of treatment. It’s an effective alternative to chemotherapy and radiation, which destroys the bone marrow. Transplanted stem cells can restore the bone marrow’s ability to make healthy blood cells.Read More »Fighting Leukemia with Umbilical Cord Blood
At least 1.5 million Americans have lupus, according to the Lupus Foundation of America, with more than 16,000 new cases of lupus reported every year across the country. Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body — skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body. Normally our immune system protects the body from germs, viruses and bacteria, but for people with lupus, their immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissue, leading to chronic inflammation. People of all races and ethnicities can develop lupus, but it affects mostly women.Read More »Advances in Treatment for Lupus
“Wee Little One… May you always walk in sunshine, may you never want for more, may Irish angels post their wings beside your nursery door.” – Irish Bedtime Blessing In honor of Irish Heritage Month and the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most popular Irish names, for any of those families who would… Read More »The Luck of Irish Baby Names
You’ve heard about the more than 80 illnesses that umbilical cord stem cells can treat, but how exactly do doctors use cord blood for their patients? The types of diseases and conditions stem cells can help treat — and even cure — are cancers, immune diseases, blood disorders, and metabolic disorders. Hematopoietic stem cells mostly live in the bone marrow,… Read More »The Science Behind Umbilical Cord Blood Treatments
February is the month of hearts and flowers. Along with the romance, there are gifts of love that can change lives. We have some ideas for the newest members of your family, before they’re even born.
When parents-to-be choose a midwife or home birth but also want to store their child’s umbilical cord blood stem cells for the future, they might wonder if it’s possible to collect umbilical cord blood when their baby is born outside of a hospital. The answer is yes, it is possible, and your midwife can follow the instructions provided by the… Read More »Cord Blood Collection: A Guide for Midwives and Parents
For many parents, making the decision to privately bank umbilical cord stem cells for their baby is a choice similar to deciding whether to purchase life or disability insurance: they’re paying for something that they hope they’ll never need to use. If you store your baby’s cord blood, you’ll rest assured that your family is covered in the event of… Read More »Is Cord Blood Banking Worth the Cost?
Delayed cord clamping is the subject of much debate. As with any hot topic, there is a lot of information out there to digest, and some of it is not entirely true, or outright false. Parents who want to store their child’s umbilical cord blood often have questions about when to clamp the umbilical cord, and how that timing affects… Read More »Delayed Cord Clamping: Debunking the Myths
Stem cell research has been in many debates in recent years. What might not be understood is that the controversy centers on the source of the stem cells. There has been an extraordinary amount of research and developments made in both umbilical cord stem cell and embryonic stem cell research. What’s the difference? Collecting stem cells from the leftover blood… Read More »Umbilical Cord vs Embryonic Stem Cells