15 minutes that could change your baby's life

Your baby’s umbilical cord blood is the richest source of stem cells that they will ever have and yet it would normally be thrown away. Cells4Life (www.cells4life.co.uk) can help you capture cord blood stem cells in the first few precious moments after birth, and keep them safe for your child until they are needed.

What are stem cells and what can they do?

Stem cells are powerful master cells that have the ability to differentiate into any other specialised cell type within the body; such as skin, muscle, bone and blood. This makes them extremely valuable in treating an increasing array of medical conditions where cells, tissue or organs are damaged and require replacing.

Stem cells have already been used in over 1 million transplants to treat a huge range of blood and immune disorders and cancers; including leukaemia, lymphoma, and anaemia. Perhaps even more excitingly, they are regarded as the future of a revolutionary new area of science known as regenerative medicine. This groundbreaking field aims to repair or rebuild tissue and organs when they don’t function correctly, or fail altogether. In fact, there are currently over 5,000 clinical trials investigating the regenerative capabilities of stem cells to treat a vast range of common and often incurable conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, brain injury and many more…

Why are my baby’s cord blood stem cells so special?

Cord blood stem cells are Powerful, Unique, Perfect and Safe.

		Powerful Your baby’s cord blood contains the youngest and purest stem cells that they will ever have. This means that they can differentiate into the greatest variety of cell types; providing access to the biggest range of treatments. In fact, cord blood stem cells are already the recognised therapy for over 80 different conditions and it is expected that in that your baby’s lifetime they could be used to treat conditions ranging from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, to spinal damage, and may even be used to grow replacement organs.
		Unique Some stem cells types within cord blood are completely unique and cannot be found in any other source.  Banking cord blood at birth is your one chance to secure access to as many cell types as possible for your baby, ensuring that they are prepared for the stem cell therapies of the future.
		Perfect Your baby’s cord blood is their perfect biological match. This means that there is no risk of rejection or requirement for life-long anti-rejection drugs following treatment.  If the sample is required, your baby would be using their own cells for the therapy or repair. Their stem cells even have a 1 in 4 chance of being a perfect match for their brothers and sisters too.
		Safe Cord blood is the only completely risk free, non-invasive and painless source of stem cells available. The collection is even performed on the cord and placenta in a separate room so as not to disturb those first precious moments between you and your new baby.

You only get one opportunity to save this precious resource, the day your baby is born, but the stem cells collected could protect their health for the rest of their life.  

What do I need to know when storing my baby’s stem cells?

The single most important consideration when saving your baby’s cord blood is number of cells. The size and weight of individual that a sample is able to treat is dependent on the amount of stem cells it contains, so the more your child has available, higher their chances of a successful treatment.  In fact, number of cells could even mean the difference between only being able to treat a small child, and having enough for a full grown adult.

Most banks process cord blood using volume reduction technologies, all of which loose stem cells; often as many as 50%. Cells4Life has developed their premium service, CellsPlus, to store every single stem cell collected on the day, giving your child the best opportunities for treatment. 

Stem cells are the future of medicine - by saving your baby’s cord blood at birth, you can ensure that they are ready to take advantage of all of the medical advancements that stem cells bring.

About Cells4Life

Cells4Life is the UK’s largest cord blood bank, with more UK samples in storage than any other. Founded in 2002, by doctors and scientists looking to safeguard the futures of their own children, everything about our unique service has been designed for one purpose - to provide babies and their families with the best protection available for their long term health..

Get your free information pack today at www.cells4life.com or call 01444 873950 to secure a healthy future for your baby.