Should You Bank Your Baby’s Cord Blood?

Increasing numbers of parents are adding it to their list of pre-baby decision making dilemmas

My Pregnancy Arabia was launched in 2015, an initiative spearheaded by Sarah Al-Hajali, CEO of CellSave Arabia, to act as a supportive hub for expectant mothers across the UAE. Sarah’s mission was to provide the resources and community spirit required during this challenging period in a woman’s life and wellbeing, with many feeling overwhelmed by the endless decision making around pregnancy, birth, and how they plan to care for their child once born. With such a large portion of the population being expats, many women in the region are also without the local support of close family, so its educational workshops and opportunities to connect with other pregnant women and healthcare professionals can help alleviate some of the mental pressure around becoming a parent.

One such dilemma is whether to bank your baby’s blood cord stem cells. My Pregnancy Arabia serves its community members by educating them on the potential of stem cell storage for future medical needs, and CellSave Arabia itself – the largest stem cell bank in the UAE, inaugurated in 2006 by the UAE Minister of Health – offers a comprehensive service for expectant parents. If you’re new to the terminology, cord blood banking entails storing blood from the baby’s umbilical cord, along with parts of the umbilical cord and the placenta, which can potentially be used later in life for you or your child to remedy certain diseases.

The non-invasive procedure collects tissues that would otherwise be discarded, so there is no risk to mother or baby, but the science is still, to a degree, in its infancy. The premise, in layman’s terms, is to retrieve stem cells which are the building blocks of our blood – primordial cells that can develop into various new, healthy tissues – to assist with treatment of certain diseases, including medical transplantation and regenerative medicine procedures such as bone marrow transplants. As it stands, however, the applications of stem cell treatment are limited, and new parents are left choosing whether to invest in the process in the hope that the science will catch up, or whether to pass on the – somewhat costly – opportunity of a lifetime.

When faced with the list of diseases that stem cell science could assist with, it certainly pulls on the heart strings of any parent. Blood cancers, certain anemias such as sickle cell disease, and severe immune deficiencies could benefit from a stem cell transplant, while research and clinical trials continue for other ailments such as brain injuries, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease. It is impossible to predict how wide reaching their application could be; we are simply not there yet. For CellSave, however, their service is intended to act as an insurance policy for parents, so they can rest assured that if and when the time does come for lifesaving stem cell treatment, the option is safely in the bank.

There are plenty of things to consider when choosing a stem cell bank, and often the considerations are fiscal; will the company still offer a robust, reliable service years down the line? What provisions are in place in case of its insolvency? Storing such precious tissues entails enormous responsibility, and it’s crucial to understand the bank’s storage policies, including whether the cells can be relocated to another country should you decide to repatriate. Over the last 20 years, CellSave has collected and stored stem cells from over 80 countries, assisting over 350,000 families, while adhering to stringent guidelines, with its laboratory accredited by the AABB (Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies), registered with the FDA (The United States Food and Drug Administration), authorised by the Ministry of Health, and licensed by Dubai Health Authority.

You might wonder then, where is the downside? The only real risk with stem cell banking is that it can be costly, for a service you may never need. If budgets are a constraint, providers such as CellSave offer various packages, ranging from its CryoAdvanced package, which recuperates cord tissue alone for a Dhs21,500 fee plus Dhs1,125 per month, to its CryoInfinite and CryoUltimate services, which range up to a Dhs37,500 fee plus Dhs1,306 per month, expanding upon the types of cells collected. Without a crystal ball, there is no right or wrong decision – much like anything in parenthood, you have to go with your gut.

For more information visit cellsave.com.

Image: Shutterstock

From Harper’s Bazaar Junior’s Autumn/Winter 2024 issue.