Cord Blood Banking: Everything You Need To Know

Want to know what cord blood banking is or considering it? We have all the information you need here

When you’re expecting a baby, your mind races with a thousand thoughts about that little, soon arriving bundle. What will you name her? Who will she look like? What will she be when she grows up? Will she be healthy? It’s natural for every soon-to-be mum to peer into her baby’s future, and to want it to be the best and healthiest one possible. As part of all this, expectant mums and dads want to do everything in their power to protect their little ones from harm and make life safe for them. It is for this reason that many expecting mums consider the option of cord blood banking.

Cord blood banking is a process of collecting blood that’s left in the umbilical cord and the placenta once it’s been cut after birth and then storing it for future potential medical use. Cord blood is a rich source of Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs), or blood forming stem cells, which can help restore the immune system and potentially be used to treat certain diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma and sickle cell anemia, which require stem cell transplants. It’s a way to store and preserve these life-saving cells.

So what are the medical powers of HSCs? Cord blood HSCs are considered valuable because they are almost unpolluted by radiation, viruses, and medicine and other normal exposures of every day life. They have a high regenerative power, can easily reproduce themselves and has the potential to turn into other types of cells. Children suffering from certain diseases can be injected with these healthy stem cells to replenish their blood supply.

The process of cord blood collection is safe and painless for both mother and baby. HSCs are easily obtained from the placenta and umbilical cord immediately after delivery of the baby. And the cells are immediately usable after thawing. Not only is it a 100% match for the subject’s own use, but there’s a lower risk of complications or rejection rate when used by other transplant patients such as siblings, parents, or other recipients.

Cord blood collection service is available in private hospitals throughout Hong Kong. It is a procedure which can only be performed immediately after the birth of the child, a once in a lifetime chance.

HealthBaby is the largest cord blood bank in Hong Kong. Established in 2001, HealthBaby uses the most advanced, state-of-the-art stem cells processing and storage system to ensure life long storage of its customers’ stem cells. HealthBaby uses exclusive, patented cord technology and is the only Asian cord blood bank that has successfully entered the U.S. market.

It successfully built the trust of customers located all throughout Asia and the United States. In fact, HealthBaby has been voted “most trusted bank” by Hong Kong parents for the last seven years*. With a host of international accreditations and professional awards, and the highest standard of cord blood storage and laboratory practice, HealthBaby has proven itself a leader in the cord blood banking industry.

Expectant parents considering cord blood banking for their baby or just needing questions answered can consult the most trusted name in cord blood banking in Hong Kong, HealthBaby.

*Ipsos Healthcare 2009-2015 Cord Blood Bank Survey