An Introductory Guide for Parents

Today, we discuss the potential benefits of storing children’s stem cells when they’re born. Rather like the building blocks of life, these are miraculous cells that have the ability to change into other types of cells. This includes blood and platelet cells, bone marrow, muscles, skin, and many other organs in the human body. By harvesting and storing children’s stem cells, they can be available later on for potentially life-saving treatments should the need ever arise. What’s more, the stem cells will be a perfect match for the child and will be immediately accessible. That’s hugely beneficial, in stark contrast to cells from unknown donors, which usually require significant time to search for, often without success. It’s even more of a challenge for children of mixed heritage, where matches on public registers are usually significantly less numerous.

Parents who decide to store their child’s stem cells often consider it rather like an insurance policy for their child’s health, safe in the knowledge that the stored cells will be a 100% match for their child should they be needed. What’s more, they could even be a match, or partial match, for a child’s siblings and other family members. That’s a potentially life-saving lifeline for families to possess.

At the time of writing, and according to experts, it’s believed that some stem cells can remain viable for as many as 27 years¹ if suitably stored. It’s feasible that this timeframe may increase as technology and techniques progress.

When Is the Best Time to Collect a Child’s Stem Cells?

According to experts, the best time to collect a child’s stem cells is when they’re born. They’re collected from blood from the child’s umbilical cord and placenta, where the stem cells are particularly concentrated. The process takes just minutes. And, because the timing is at birth when the baby is going to be separated from the placenta anyway, harvesting the stem cells does not interfere with delivery, is non-invasive, and is free from pain and risk.

What Can Stored Stem Cells Be Used For?

Stem cells are already used, as standard, to treat over 85 conditions and have been used in over 50,000 transplants in recent decades — more than 2000 each year in the UK alone.

Two key types of stem cell are can be collected at the time of birth, each of which has the potential to cure life-threatening conditions:

1. 1. Hematopoietic stem cells can treat conditions that involve blood. For example, they can repair or even remake white and red blood cells and platelets to cure conditions like leukaemia, anaemia, bone marrow cancers, platelet abnormalities, immune system disorders, and even some tumours.
   2. Mesenchymal stem cells can develop into different kinds of tissue. For example, they can develop into muscle, fat, and bone.

Scientists hope that, as research develops, more and more conditions will be treatable using cord blood stem cells. Conditions like Alzheimer’s, Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Type 2 Diabetes, and Osteoarthritis are already among the 300 or so conditions undergoing new clinical trials using such cells.

Collection & Storage

Immediately following birth, the harvested cord blood and, if applicable, a section of the umbilical cord itself, will be placed into a special storage kit designed for the purpose. This is usually then collected by a medical courier and transported to the receiving laboratory. Here, the blood will be processed to separate out the cord stem cells. These are then cryogenically frozen, i.e. at an extremely low temperature, to preserve them potentially for years and years.

Private vs. Public Stem Cell Storage — & Fees

Parents have two key options when it comes to storing their children’s stem cells.

• The first is a private stem cell bank where, for a fee, a child’s stem cells will be stored and be available only for that child/family. There may be an annual storage fee in addition to the initial up-front price, although some private providers offer the option of a bundled number of years from the outset (we’ve seen up to 25 years). Please note that parents should do their own due diligence when selecting a provider.
• The second is a public stem cell bank, which is usually free. However, with public cell banks including the NHS Cord Blood Bank in the UK, the stem cells will be available to any patient who needs them. Parents interested in donating can contact the NHS Cord Blood Bank directly or start the process via their antenatal team. Follow the bold blue link for some additional useful information, caveats, etc.

Final Thoughts

Saving your baby’s stem cells is certainly worth considering. Whether you choose a private stem cell bank or a public one, there seems to be no downside to harvesting and storing stem cells. They’re miraculous little things that can transform and even save lives many years after they were collected — incredible! So, if you are planning a family or are already expecting a baby, consider learning more about storing stem cells from your baby once they’re born. You’ll need to plan ahead to make the appropriate arrangements. And, who knows, they could one day save lives!

Little Cedars Day Nursery

A High-Quality Nursery Providing Weekday Childcare in Streatham

Little Cedars is a high-quality nursery based in Streatham. Our team of early years professionals delivers a first-class childcare service for babies, toddlers, and children under five. The setting is a warm, safe and nurturing environment that brings out the best in them. Operating on weekdays almost all year round, we are ideally located for families living in Streatham, Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury, and Colliers Wood. We have a good Ofsted rating and support funded places for eligible children and babies.

Start your child’s nursery journey today by contacting the Little Cedars Nursery team — we’d love to receive your nursery application, show you and your little one around, or answer any questions:

^{[1] Hal Broxmeyer, Larry Luchsinger, Rona Weinberg, Alexandra Jimenez, Emeline Masson Frenet, Wouter van’t Hof, Maegan Capitano, Christopher Hillyer, Mark Kaplan, Scott Cooper, James Ropa, Abstract 16 Insights into Highly Engraftable Hematopoietic Cells from 27-Year Cryopreserved Umbilical Cord Blood, Stem Cells Translational Medicine, Volume 12, Issue Supplement_1, September 2023, Page S18, https://doi.org/10.1093/stcltm/szad047.017}