While your baby is in the womb, the umbilical cord transports vital oxygen, nutrients and antibodies to help them grow. It also contains stem cells that have amazing therapeutic benefits. The cord blood and cord tissue itself contain two important types of stem cell that can be used to treat immunity, blood and tissue-related illnesses throughout the body.
Stem Cell Collection
Cord blood and tissue stem cell banking
My Independent Midwife strongly advocate birth on your own terms, supporting you to achieve the choice and control needed to make birth calm and safe. These are key elements for reducing interventions in birth and improving physical and emotional outcomes. When everything in your birth becomes your choice, it becomes a powerful and transformative event. Of course we will be there to support you every step of the way and help you to make fully informed decisions, keeping you and your baby safe throughout the birth process.
Many families believe that cord blood and tissue stem cell storage safeguard their child's health needs and we are delighted that we can facilitate them to do this.
Cord blood & tissue stem cell banking
Your baby’s umbilical cord blood and tissue are rich in stem cells. Umbilical cord stem cell banking involves collecting these valuable cells at the birth of your child, then processing and storing them for potential use in a range of medical treatments.
If you choose to store umbilical cord stem cells with a private bank, your cord blood and cord tissue sample will be preserved for decades to come and reserved only for family use.
What makes the umbilical cord so special?
Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)
Can repair and replicate all types of blood cells; white, red and platelets. They are found within cord blood, peripheral blood and bone marrow and are used in 80+ standard therapies to treat blood and inherited disorders such as anaemia, bone marrow cancers and leukaemia.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)
Can repair and replicate into a variety of tissue cells within bone, cartilage, muscle and fat. They are found within umbilical cord tissue, bone marrow & teeth and are present in over 1,000 clinical trials into spinal cord injury, cardiovascular, autoimmune diseases and more.
Many parents have their baby’s umbilical cord discarded after delayed cord clamping, without realising the regenerative potential of its stem cells. Banking a small cord blood and/or tissue sample after birth offers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to preserve your baby’s good health long into adulthood.
Regenerative medicine is an exciting and rapidly developing field. In the UK alone, 2,000 people require a stem cell or bone marrow transplant each year.
Cord blood banking
Cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord by an experienced, once delayed cord clamping has taken place. This is packaged for you and transported from the place of birth to the Future Health laboratory. Once arrived, the cord blood sample is processed and cryogenically frozen at our secure storage facilities
Cord tissue banking
Cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord by an experienced, once delayed cord clamping has taken place. This is packaged for you and transported from the place of birth to the Future Health laboratory. Once arrived, the cord blood sample is processed and cryogenically frozen at our secure storage facilities
Why Choose Future Health and My Independent Midwife?
- Over our 20 year history, we have become the UK's largest and most advanced stem cell bank. We are passionate about protecting your family's health, whilst staying at the forefront of present and future innovations. This has led us to store more stem cell samples than all other UK banks combined.
- Our state of the art processing technology enables cell recovery rates of up to 99% pre-freeze, leaving the most stem cells possible in your sample and giving your child the best chance of successful treatment in the future.
- Our state of the art processing technology enables cell recovery rates of up to 99% pre-freeze, leaving the most stem cells possible in your sample and giving your child the best chance of successful treatment in the future.
- Future Health Biobank is available day and night 365 days a year to answer any of your questions or in an emergency, ensuring you are the highest priority.
- Future health are one of the world's most accredited stem cell banks. Already regarded by our peers as an innovative centre of excellence, for us it is equally important that our clients understand each and every carefully earned certification and its purpose.
- My Independent Midwife are experienced midwives who are able to take your sample using the most current sampling techniques.
Prices
My Independent Midwife are able to collect your baby’s cord blood and cord tissue sample after the birth of the baby and send it to the Future Health lab. Your baby’s cord blood and tissue will be processed and stored by Future Health. Our ‘Premium’ package of care includes the full costs of taking, processing and storing the samples for 25 years. If you would like this service to be added to any other package of care that we offer, then please follow the link to Future Health and explore their finance options.
