Ask Dr. Sears: Saving Your Baby’s Cord Blood (NAPSA)—Thebirth of every baby offers today’s parents a one-time opportunity to collect and save the stem cells found in their newborn’s umbilical cord blood. Stem cells can currently treat over 70 seriousillnesses and, have already shown miraculous potential to treat heart disease, stroke, and brain and spinal cord injury. Here, pediatrician Dr. Robert Sears (who banked his own son’s stem cells) offers helpful answers to frequently asked questions: Q. Should I bank my baby’s cord blood? A. There are two reasons cord blood banking is a good investment for a family. If your child or another family memberis ever diagnosed with a life-threatening blood disorder or disease like leukemia, a stem cell transplant using a person’s own cord blood stem cells, or ones from a matchingsibling, offers the best chance of being cured. Almostall mothers and about half of all siblings will be a suitable match for a baby’s stem cells. What may be a more compelling reason is the chance that these amazing stem cells can help treat diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and arthritis. As new treatments develop, having newborn stem cells available can be invaluable. Q. Is the procedure painful or complicated? A. Collecting newborn stem cells is safe, easy, and painless. Before your due date, the cord blood bank you enroll with sends you a collection kit to take with you to the hospital. After your Saving newborn stem cells is like investing in “biological insurance”for your baby and family. baby is born and the umbilical cord is cut, your doctor or midwife collects the blood remaining in the cord and placenta. Q. How do I choose a cord blood bank? A. I feel confident recommending Cord Blood Registry (CBR), the most experienced family cord blood bank and the bank I chose for my own family. CBR has provided more samples for use in medical treatments than all other family banks combined. Plus, it’s a reliable, financially strong company that’s been around since 1995. This is crucial because you want your baby’s stem cells to be available for many years to come. For more information about this lifesaving resourcecall 1-888CORD BLOODor go to www.cord blood.com.
