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NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
Santa Ana, CA, United States, 08/19/2008 - The only cord blood bank registered with the FDA to collect and store lifesaving cells from both the placenta and cord blood encourages medical professionals to educate patients about the advantages of placenta-cord banking.
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Unlike companies that only preserve cord blood, LifebankUSA is the first and only cord blood bank in the United States to store and release placenta-derived stem cells for transplant. LifebankUSA’s goal is to help medical professionals educate their patients about cord blood banking options and the fact that not all cord blood banks are the same.
LifebankUSA has provided thousands of parents and healthcare professionals with education and peace of mind by offering a revolutionary stem cell banking service known as Placenta-Cord banking. Expecting parents choose Placenta-Cord banking because of the potentially significant increase in CD34+ stem cells banked compared to cord blood alone. More and more health care professionals are recommending to potential cord blood banking patients that if they are planning to bank their babies’ stem cells they should strive to bank as many CD34+ stem cells (blood forming cells that matter most for treatment success) as possible.
Expecting parents can now bank the most stem cells possible through this leading cord blood banking option that enables them to bank stem cells from 2 sources: the placenta and the cord blood. This unique placenta-derived stem cell and cord blood banking option can provide expecting parents with the potential to bank the most CD34+ stem cells possible—and more CD34+ stem cells have been shown to improve transplant success and patient survival in the treatment of potentially life-threatening diseases and conditions. Recently, the older brother of a baby whose placenta-derived stem cells and cord blood stem cells were banked with LifebankUSA in 2007 underwent a transplant using both placenta-derived and cord blood units to treat a potentially fatal type of leukemia. “The patient is doing extremely well and, in fact, was discharged from the hospital one-to-two weeks earlier compared to traditional cord blood transplants,” said Lolie C. Yu, M.D., who led this groundbreaking Placenta-Cord transplant.
Collecting stem cells from both the cord blood and the intact placenta is a simple process that a health care provider initiates immediately following delivery. The initial process takes about 5 minutes following delivery and poses no risk to either the mother or the newborn.
For additional information about cord blood banking and placenta-derived stem cells, visit the company’s website at lifebankusa.com or call a cord blood and Placenta-Cord banking education specialist at 877-543-3226.
About LifebankUSA
LifebankUSA, 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.
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.
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info[.]lifebankusa.com 
