There are over 85 life-threatening diseases currently treated with cord blood stem cells. This includes cancer, metabolic disorders, immune system disorders and blood disorders.
The chances that your child will develop one of these diseases and will need their own cord blood varies. It depends on the condition, the circumstances and the severity of the diagnosis.
The Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood estimates that 1 in 5000 children in the US will need their own umbilical cord blood stem cells by the age of 20. A very small risk indeed.
Yet, the chance that children will need someone else’s umbilical cord stem cells increases to 1 in 2,500. Cord blood has the amazing potential to treat certain genetic conditions. That’s why many parents store the cord blood not only for the use of one child but for the siblings as well. To make sure there is a close genetic match if a family member needs a cord blood stem cell transplant.
Your baby’s own cord blood has a 25% chance of being a perfect match to siblings. And parents are always a partial match. Saving the cord blood at birth can benefit the whole family.
Other research suggests that the chances will need to use their own cord blood can increase to 1 in 200. But this is largely defined by the history of disease within the family.
The solution
The use of stem cells from cord blood has increased in recent years. Currently, there are 40,000 umbilical cord blood stem cell transplants performed around the world. Back in 2015, approximately 1 in 3 hematopoietic stem cell transplants were performed using umbilical blood.
Not only has this paved the way for modern medicine but it’s becoming a more common treatment method for a variety of conditions.
To date, more than 7 million families have stored their baby’s cord blood to secure their health in the future.
WATCH VIDEO: IMPORTANCE OF SAVING THE CORD BLOOD
What does this mean for treatment?
There are many research projects underway which are looking for new ways cord blood stem cells can be used to treat diseases. This includes heart disease, stroke, brain injuries, cerebral palsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, spinal injuries, cystic fibrosis and diabetes to name a few.
The storing of cord blood stem cells can not only secure the future for your own child should they be diagnosed with a condition, but it can also help many others.
