Banking on stem cells

In the past ten years there has been an increasing trend of banking babies’ stem cells at birth. But why should your employees do this and what are the potential benefits for their babies?

Stem cells are the building blocks of life and can diversify into any kind of cell. They are being researched as a possible cure to conditions as varied as cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, type 1 diabetes and hearing loss. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are already used to treat more than 70 blood-related diseases such as leukaemia, multiple myeloma and sickle cell anaemia by regenerating bone marrow. There are currently more than 4 000 trials involving stem cells, with more than 200 of these trials using umbilical cord blood stem cells. It is possible to collect stem cells later in life, but cord blood stem cells are considered to be better quality because they have not been exposed to ageing, pollutants, illness or disease.

Why bank babies’ cord blood and tissue?

Cord blood stem cells are a perfect match for the baby they are collected from and pose no risk of rejection when transplanted. These stem cells also have a one-in-four chance of being a suitable match for a sibling.

Imagine banking stem cells as an extra form of medical insurance. “If you have a family history of blood-related diseases, you should definitely bank the baby’s cord blood,” advises Catherine Brazier, Communications and Marketing Manager at Netcells Biosciences. Storage should be strongly considered if there is a family history of certain illnesses, especially blood cancers, as well as for families of ethnic minorities or racially mixed couples, who may struggle to find compatible donors if needed. The chances of needing the stem cells are not high, but with all the research being done, it is likely that collection will increase in the future as more diseases become treatable through stem cell therapy.

Your employees should start considering stem cell storage from the twentieth week of pregnancy. This gives them time to do research, find out what their options are, as well as budget for the costs.

Exclusive discount offer

We have partnered with Netcells Biosciences to bring members on Schemes administered by Discovery Health a 25% discount on the upfront payment, or 20% discount on a payment plan option. The discount applies to the processing, testing and 10-year storage fee. It does not apply to the collection fee or storage costs after 10 years. The discount is passed directly on to the member – no costs are paid out of day-to-day benefits. Your employees can contact Netcells Biosciences for more details.

How to register with Netcells Biosciences

Contact Netcells Biosciences directly at 011 697 2900, email info@netcells.co.za or visit www.netcells.co.za.

For umbilical cord blood and tissue stem cell storage, it is advisable that you register with Netcells Biosciences from 30 weeks of pregnancy. Schemes administered by Discovery Health do not cover expenses related to cord blood stem cell harvesting, testing and storage.