A New Year, a New Baby, an Important Decision to Make

A New Year, a New Baby, an Important Decision to Make

This blog post was sponsored by ViaCord

 I have to say, there’s something quite refreshing about the start of a new year. Not  only is it a great time to reflect on the prior year, it’s also a great opportunity to look  ahead with excitement at what’s to come over the next twelve months. Many people  seize the new year by making promises to better themselves – to be kinder, to  exercise more, become a better cook, plan better and prioritize the ‘important  things’ in life.

 For me, my family’s health is always my top priority – no matter the time of year.  It’s true that you can’t plan for health, but there are things to consider and decisions  you can make that may potentially help protect your family’s health.

 If you’re expecting a baby in 2015, ‘planning’ is already a major focus of yours.  With all you need to plan for – the baby’s room, the baby gear, newborn care classes, etc.- thinking about the future health of your baby may not be top of mind. However, pregnancy is actually the best time to think about it because there’s an important decision to make before your baby’s birth; a decision that could have a potentially life-saving impact.

What is it? It’s the decision to make cord blood and/or cord tissue banking part of your family’s plan. Why should you consider it? The umbilical cord is a rich source of two main types of stem cells: cord blood stem cells and cord tissue stem cells. A newborn’s stem cells are genetically unique to that baby and other family members. Banking them at birth is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to secure a potential medical resource for your family that would otherwise be discarded. Here’s a quick explanation:

• Cord blood banking is the process of collecting and storing the stem cells found within a newborn baby’s umbilical cord blood. Nearly 80 life-threatening diseases – from cancers to blood diseases to immune disorders – can use cord blood stem cells in treatment. To date over 30,000 transplants have been conducted worldwide using cord blood stem cells.⁴ These cells are also currently being used in clinical trials for serious health conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, Autism and Type 1 Diabetes. You can read some compelling experiences of ViaCord families that have used their banked cord blood stem cells in treatment, here. It only takes one happy ending to understand why cord blood is so special.

• Cord tissue banking is the process of collecting and storing the stem cells found in the tissue of the umbilical cord. These special stem cells are being researched for their potential to treat conditions affecting cartilage, muscle, and nerve cells.¹⁹ Although there are currently no medical treatments available using stem cells from cord tissue – researchers are excited about their power to regenerate other cells, as well as, structural and connective tissue. Saving cord tissue cells means more potential treatment options in the future.

There’s no better time than now, at the start of this New Year, to take a few minutes to learn about the potential benefits of cord blood and cord tissue banking. Make a promise to yourself, and your baby, to know your options before making a decision.

To learn more about cord blood and cord tissue banking visit www.viacord.com.

Disclaimer: Banking cord blood does not guarantee that treatment will work and only a doctor can determine when it can be used. Research is ongoing. For more details and references, www.viacord.com/references