Cord blood is a rich and valuable resource that is packed with young stem cells, and these can be used to treat a variety of potentially life-threatening diseases and conditions. Many parents are beginning to realize the unique opportunity that is offered to them following their baby’s birth. A simple procedure that does not affect mother or baby is used to drain the stem-cell-rich blood from the umbilical cord and placenta after birth. This cord blood can then be banked and could prove vital in years to come.

Why could this cord blood prove vital? In short, it could save the life of your baby in future years and could even save the lives of other family members. Many parents see banking of their baby’s cord blood as an investment in life; a simple action that can provide peace of mind for many years to come.

This is because the survival rate associated with using your own cord blood or that of a family member is dramatically higher than the survival rate of using the cord blood of an unrelated donor. In fact, research has shown that the survival rate for those treated with family cord blood is as high as sixty-three percent compared to a twenty-nine percent survival rate for those that use an outsider’s cord blood.

The stem cells from cord blood do not need to be a perfect match, so anyone being treated with these cells has an instantly increased chance of survival. However, a family member’s chances of survival are increased even further.

Banking your baby’s cord blood could save your child’s life, your partner’s life and even your life in future years. With many diseases already being treated through this procedure, and the likelihood of this pool of treatable diseases increasing rapidly, the banked cord blood of your baby could make a real difference to the future of your family.