Collecting your baby's stem cells: a unique opportunity
29 June 2018 | Comment(s) |
Tanya Lathion
Collecting your baby's stem cells before it is born.
The birth of your child is an opportunity to collect and store stem cells from the umbilical cord in ideal conditions.
To date, more than 40,000 patients have undergone successful treatment using their stem cells. Currently, 5,000 studies on new therapies based on these cells are being conducted worldwide.
Stem cells: what are the future therapeutic possibilities?
Two types of stem cells are taken from the umbilical cord: blood cells and tissue cells.
Stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood can be differentiated into blood cells. These include:
- red blood cells (which carry oxygen);
- white blood cells (which fight infection);
- platelets (which stop bleeding).
These cells are used to treat around 80 blood diseases, such as leukaemia, anaemia and lymphoma. With blood stem cell transplants, it is possible to replace the damaged cells of a sick child with healthy, perfectly compatible cells.
How does limescale in water affect our bodies?
Stem cells taken from umbilical cord tissue are capable of transforming into a multitude of different cells, such as:
- muscle cells, including heart muscle cells;
- cartilage and bone cells;
- specialised cells such as those found in the liver, kidneys, pancreas, skin and connective tissue.
In this way, they can contribute to healing and tissue regeneration. Clinically, they are already proving their usefulness in healing certain types of burns. But they can also be used in more specific circumstances, such as in transplants, where they are combined with blood cells from the umbilical cord or bone marrow.
Increase the odds in your favour
The gynaecologist or midwife collects the stem cells in the minutes following childbirth. The procedure is quick and painless for both mother and baby. The sample is then sent to a laboratory approved by the Swiss health authorities. The laboratory analyses, purifies and counts the stem cells, before storing them in liquid nitrogen at -196°C.
Stored for the rest of your child's life, its stem cells constitute biological savings that will provide real support for recovery in case of illness or infection.
Further information is available directly from the Nescens laboratory website:
https://sscb-stembiotech.ch/en/
