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NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
Santa Ana, CA, United States, 07/24/2008 - LifebankUSA, industry leading placenta-derived stem cell and cord blood banking company, offers hope for parents looking to provide increased stem cell treatment options for their families.
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Expecting a newborn is both a fearful and exhilarating time for many parents. Feelings of worry and anxiety for the well-being of the newborn are often greater for an expecting parent who has a family history of medical problems. While all children can potentially benefit from cord blood banking, families of children with histories of certain medical conditions should especially consider cord blood banking as their chances of using stem cells may be greater.
Many of these soon-to-be parents seek the peace of mind offered by cord blood banks that collect, process, and store their newborns’ stem cells as a precautionary measure should the stem cells be needed for potentially lifesaving treatments. Parents who save their newborns’ stem cells in cord blood banking facilities have the peace of mind knowing that an exact stem cell match, for the child whose cells were banked, is readily available to treat potentially life-threatening diseases and conditions. However, does cord blood banking alone offer the best treatment options for their families’ potential future health needs?
Medical professionals recommend collecting the most CD34+ stem cells (blood forming cells that matter most for treatment success) to patients considering cord blood banking. Using more stems to treat potentially life-threatening diseases and conditions has been shown to improve treatment success and patient survival. Expecting parents can collect the most stem cells possible by banking from two sources: the placenta and cord blood. This procedure, which is known by the medical community as Placenta-Cord banking, increases the total number of stem cells banked and yields two separate stem cell collections, which improves and increases the treatment options offered by cord blood banking alone. For example, if the stem cells were needed, one collection could potentially be used for the baby and the other for another biological family member, assuming a suitable match. Another advantage of collecting placenta-derived stem cells in addition to traditional cord blood banking is that the placenta is up to 15 times richer in CD34+ stem cells, which studies have shown are the cells that matter most for transplant success and patient survival in the treatment of potentially life-threatening diseases and conditions. LifebankUSA is currently the only cord blood bank that collects, processes, and stores stem cells from two of the richest sources of blood forming stem cells: the placenta and the cord blood.
Placenta-derived stem cell and cord blood banking may become even more valuable in the future with exciting research under way to find new medical uses for stem cells in areas such as diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and even spinal cord injury. Many parents see this cord blood bank option as a valuable tool to help them obtain increased lifesaving treatment options for their families’ potential future health needs.
About LifebankUSA
LifebankUSA (lifebankusa.com), a Celgene company, is one of the largest cord blood banks in the world, and has provided cord blood banking services for tens of thousands of families worldwide. It has released dozens of stem cell units for transplant worldwide to treat numerous life-threatening diseases. LifebankUSA is also the world's first bank to allow families to collect and preserve stem cells derived from the placenta, as well as the umbilical cord (Placenta-Cord banking), to rebuild blood and the immune system, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. What further sets LifebankUSA apart is an active involvement in research along with its parent company Celgene, in a commitment to further the science of stem cells to help ensure a more promising future for both Placenta-Derived and umbilical cord blood stem cell therapies. For more information, please visit the Company's website.
The chance that a child will use his/her own stored cells during their lifetime is estimated at 1 in 400 (J.J. Nietfeld and F. Verter). 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 1-877-LIFEBANKUSA (1-877-543-3226) or visit lifebankusa.com.
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info[.]lifebankusa.com 
