Frequently Asked Questions

Cord blood can only be collected at birth. That's why it's important for you to have the answers to your questions now, before delivery-so you can make the best decision for your family.

Stem cells are the building blocks of the body's blood, tissues, and organs. They have the ability to transform into other types of cells and replenish themselves as needed.¹ Stem cells can be used to replace other cells in the body that are abnormal or have been destroyed by disease.¹ In fact, stem cell transplants have already become the standard of care for many life-threatening blood disorders.^2-6

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Is cord blood and placental blood collection safe?

Absolutely. The entire process is performed by your own health care provider, is noninvasive, and only takes about 5 minutes. Once your baby is born and the umbilical cord has been cut, your health care provider will collect blood from the cord. If you are banking placental stem cells, the entire placenta will be collected separately and placed in a special bag. The collection kit will then be transported by express delivery to the LifebankUSA laboratories for processing and preservation. The stem cells will be "cryopreserved" in a vapor-phase liquid-nitrogen storage tank that is continuously monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, until the time when your family may need them.

If someone from my family needs a transplant, couldn't we use stem cells from a public bank?

It's possible. However, a successful transplant requires that the patient and the donor have closely matching human leukocyte antigen (HLA) types.²² HLA types are inherited from your parents. Because public banks rely on donations of cord blood, they cannot guarantee that a good HLA match will be available. In fact, many patients who need stem cell transplants don't receive them because they are unable to find suitable matches from a public bank. ²³ Private banking ensures that you have immediate access to a 100% HLA match for your child. And your baby's stem cells have a much greater likelihood of providing a good match for other close blood relatives.

What diseases can be treated with stem cells?

To date, cord blood stem cell transplants have been used to treat at least 80 different diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma.^24,25 But the new science of regenerative medicine* is exploring new uses for stem cells. In fact, regenerative medicine may someday provide groundbreaking treatments for type 1 diabetes,¹⁴ Parkinson's disease,¹⁶ spinal cord injury,¹⁵ cerebral palsy,^16,17 muscular dystrophy,¹⁸ stroke,¹⁹ and many other diseases.

*These uses are not consistent with current labeling, are investigational and may never become standard therapy.

How much does it cost to bank stem cells?

Banking your baby's cord blood may cost less than you think. In fact, LifebankUSA offers low monthly payment plans for banking your baby's stem cells-as low as $44 per month.^* So there's no need to apply for financing or credit through third-party companies. Expectant parents can also join the LifebankUSA Gift Registry to receive contributions toward stem cell banking from their friends and families. Call 1-877-LIFEBANKUSA (1-877-543-3226) today for pricing plans.

*Does not include annual storage fee.

How and when should I enroll with LifebankUSA to save my baby's cord blood?

The sooner you enroll, the sooner your collection kit will be mailed to you prior to your baby's birth. So enroll today! Contact LifebankUSA to speak to a Cord Blood Education Specialist, who will be happy to answer any questions you may have and guide you through the enrollment process.

Call 1-877-LIFEBANKUSA (1-877-543-3226). You may also simply enroll online.

"In a recent LifebankUSA newsletter, I read about a boy with leukemia who had been saved thanks to LifebankUSA. This, along with a member of my family having died of leukemia, brought home just how important it is to bank stem cells and made me feel thankful that I had the opportunity to store my children's stem cells."

-Victoria F.,
LifebankUSA client,
New Jersey

Cord blood and placenta-derived stem cells banked with LifebankUSA are indicated for hematopoietic reconstitution (the reformation of blood cellular components) for autologous use or use in first or second degree blood relatives. Any use of cord blood and placental stem cells other than for hematopoietic reconstitution is considered investigational, including regenerative medicine* therapies.

The chance that a child will use his/her own stored stem cells during his/her lifetime for currently treated conditions is estimated at 1 in 400 (J.J. Nietfeld). These odds may increase if there is a family history of certain blood disorders or cancers. The potential risks and benefits of stem cell transplantation vary and depend on many factors, such as the amount and quality of the stem cells collected, the HLA compatibility between recipient and donor, and the client’s overall health. Talk with your health care provider. For more information, call us at 1-877-LIFEBANKUSA (1-877-543-3226) or visit www.lifebankusa.com. View Product Information.

*These uses are not consistent with current labeling, are investigational and may never become standard therapy.

References:

National Institutes of Health. Stem cell basics: 1. Introduction. http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics1. Accessed April 14, 2010.
Schmit-Pokorny K. Expanding indications for stem cell transplantation. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2009;25(2):105-114.
Moskowitz AJ, Moskowitz CH. Controversies in the treatment of lymphoma with autologous transplantation. Oncologist. 2009;14(9):921-929.
Gratwohl A, Heim D. Current role of stem cell transplantation in chronic myeloid leukaemia. Best Pract Res Clin Haematol. 2009;22(3):431-443.
Minnema MC, van der Spek E, van der Donk NW, Lokhorst HM. New developments in the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma. Neth J Med. 2010;68(1):24-32.
Chen Y-B, Hochberg EP, Feng Y, et al. Characteristics and outcomes after autologous stem cell transplants for patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who failed initial rituximab, cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, and prednisone therapy compared to patients who failed cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, and prednisone. Leuk Lymphoma. 2010;51(5):789-796.
Rocha V, Gluckman E; Eurocord-Netcord registry and European Blood and Marrow Transplant group. Improving outcomes of cord blood transplantation: HLA matching, cell dose and other graft-and-transplantation-related factors. Br J Haematol. 2009;147(2):262-274.
Data on file, LifebankUSA; 2010.
9. Gluckman E, Rocha V. Donor selection for unrelated cord blood transplants. Curr Opin Immunol. 2006;18(5):565-570.
Schoemans H, Theunissen K, Maertens J, Boogaerts M, Verfaillie C, Wagner J. Adult umbilical cord blood transplantation: a comprehensive review. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2006;38(2):83-93.
Kamani N, Spellman S, Hurley CK, et al. State of the art review: HLA matching and outcome of unrelated donor umbilical cord blood transplants. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2008;14(1):1-6.
Eden T. Aetiology of childhood leukaemia. Cancer Treatment Reviews. 2010;36: 286-297.
http://www.stjude.org/st jude
Mason C, Dunnill P. A brief definition of regenerative medicine. Regen Med. 2008;3(1):1-5.
US Department of Health and Human Services. 2020: a new vision - a future for regenerative medicine. http://www.hhs.gov/reference/newfuture.shtml. Accessed April 14, 2010.
Haller MJ, Viener H-L, Wasserfall C, Brusko T, Atkinson MA, Schatz DA. Autologous umbilical cord blood infusion for type 1 diabetes. Exp Hematol. 2008;36(6):710-715.
Dasari VR, Spomar DG, Li L, Gujrati M, Rao JS, Dinh DH. Umbilical cord blood stem cell mediated downregulation of Fas improves functional recovery of rats after spinal cord injury. Neurochem Res. 2008;33(1):134-149.
Harris DT. Cord blood stem cells: a review of potential neurological applications. Stem Cell Rev. 2008;4(4):269-274.
Harris DT. Non-haematological uses of cord blood stem cells. Br J Haematol. 2009;147(2):177-184.
Jazedje T, Secco M, Vieira NM, et al. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood do have myogenic
potential, with and without differentiation induction in vitro. J Transl Med. 2009;7:6.
Bliss T, Guzman R, Daadi M, Steinberg GK. Cell transplantation therapy for stroke. Stroke. 2007;38(suppl 2):817-826.
Richardson SM, Hoyland JA, Mobasheri R, Csaki C, Shakibaei M, Mobasheri A. Mesenchymal stem cells in regenerative medicine: opportunities and challenges for articular cartilage and intervertebral disc tissue engineering. J Cell Physiol. 2010;222(1):23-32.
Yen BL, Huang H-I, Chien C-C, et al. Isolation of multipotent cells from human term placenta. Stem Cells. 2005;23(1):3-9.
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Description of HLA. http://www.seattlecca.org/description-of-hla.cfm. Accessed June 7, 2010.
The Bone Marrow Foundation. Become a bone marrow/stem cell donor. http://www.bonemarrow.org/help/become_a_donor.html. Accessed June 7, 2010.
Huang WYK, Ong SY. Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation without a matched sibling donor: current options and future potential. Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2009;38:340-5.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Cord blood stem cell transplantation. No. 2. http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/attachments/National/br_1128624081.pdf. Accessed May 10, 2010.
Nietfeld JJ, Pasquini MC, Logan BR, Verter F, Horowitz MM. Lifetime probabilities of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the U.S. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2008;14(3):316-322.