To Expectant Parents - Stem Cells Provide Lifelong Health Insurance
Now that you are expecting a baby, you must make decisions that will determine your child's future. To help you make these decisions, be aware of your options.
You now have an option that could save your child's life some day. But you must act immediately!
As you know, the umbilical cord through which you are now physically attached to your baby will soon no longer be needed. OR WILL IT?
NCLF and a top research doctor have found that your umbilical cord is vitally needed--for the cord blood stem cells hidden within it.
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The time of birth is the only time it is possible to acquire lifesaving cord stem cells. What is routinely discarded at birth can now be frozen and stored long-term for use by that child, or another compatible recipient. Today, stem cell therapy is already being used to treat leukemia, various kinds of cancers and blood diseases, and immune system and genetic disorders. As stem cell transplants become a more routine medical procedure, they may be used in gene therapy and in fighting other diseases, such as lung cancer, juvenile diabetes, sickle cell anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, lupus and AIDS.
The NCLF is currently banking stem cells in cryo-preservation banks in liquid nitrogen at 200 degrees below zero Celcius. Each tube is marked with the donor's name and is barcoded.
NCLF has two stem cell banking programs: One is for Designated blood cells (for a family's own use if the need arises) and the other is for Non-Designated blood cells (if a family releases its cells for use by anyone in need).
NCLF also will locate matches on its computer data base for stem cells and bone marrow donors.
You can benefit by storing your child's stem cells at birth for use by your own family if the need arises.
If your child or any family member needs a bone marrow transplant, you can benefit by suing stored stem cells from another family member. These healthy stem cells are used to replace blood cells. Until today, this procedure involved bone marrow from live donors; however, cord blood is an even better source for these transplantations.
Each stem cell is stored with a bar code and a number coordinated in our computer with your child's information. NO one can use it or any part of it without your consent.
Thousands of children in the United States develop leukemia and other blood disorders each year. Leukemia and related blood cancers cause more deaths among children than any other disease. These children might be alive today if they had umbilical stem cells stored at birth.
Not necessarily. Children often contract leukemia even if there is no prior history of cancer in the family. Storing their cord blood stem cells at birth will assure that a matching transplant will always be available.
There is no risk whatsoever. The stem cells are collected after the umbilical cord and placenta are already separated from mother and child.
There are many facilities around the U.S. and worldwide that will perform stem cell collection. They will then be delivered anywhere worldwide in our portable cryogenic units.
If your baby is due soon, please act quickly and contact NCLF for more information. Your doctor may not yet be familiar with the many cases where stem cells from cord blood, rather than from bone marrow, have been used effectively for treatment of disease. We'll contact your doctor and send him all the necessary information.
But please do not delay. This is one decision you must make during your pregnancy. The baby's name can wait, furnishing the nursery can wait--almost every choice you're faced with can be postponed until after the baby is born. But not this one.
