Many adults may live their whole lives not knowing of the technological and medical marvel available to today’s families, that is, cord blood banking. This is perhaps due in part to how small its window of relevance is (only to expecting couples) and the complexity that comes with explaining it.
Fortunately and undeniably, cord blood banking has been gaining popularity over the past few years. You’ve probably seen more than one family cord blood banking booth throughout your baby fair visits.
In a recent article, we attempted to demystify cord blood banking. Here, we will discuss the practical aspects of choosing a family cord blood bank. Hopefully, by the end of the article, couples will be able to make an informed decision.
What Is Cord Blood Banking
Cord blood banking is a process that allows you to store your baby’s umbilical cord blood for potential future use.
The umbilical cord connects the placenta to the fetus and is typically discarded after birth. However, some parents choose to have their baby’s cord blood stored in case it’s needed for medical purposes down the line.
Cord blood contains a rich supply of stem cells that can be used as a source of treatment for many diseases such as leukaemia and lymphoma. It has also been used for people with an immune system deficiency or needing organ transplants.
Image Source: iStock
Is Cord Blood Banking Worth It?
The answer to this question is a tough one. It depends on the individual situation and what you’re hoping to get out of it.
The first thing to consider is why you might want to bank your child’s cord blood. There are a few different reasons that people choose to do it, namely:
- You’re worried about diseases or conditions your child may develop later in life, and you want an early head start on treatment options.
- The doctor has recommended that your baby receive stem cell treatment (such as in the case of leukaemia or other serious illnesses).
- You think storing cord blood will improve the odds of finding a match if they need a stem cell transplant later in life (this applies mostly to siblings who have already been diagnosed with certain illnesses).
- You want to donate the cord blood for research purposes (this usually involves paying an additional fee).
- You’re just curious about what happens with cord blood after birth—whether it has any value in treating disease or illness.
Benefits of Cord Blood Banking
Cord blood banking is a relatively new and exciting way to store stem cells. It’s a process that means you can preserve your baby’s stem cells after birth and potentially use them in the future if they ever need them.
If you’re thinking about cord blood banking and you’d like to know more about the potential benefits for your family, here are some things to consider:
- It could help treat illnesses. Having a cord blood bank could be helpful if your child has an illness or disease requiring stem cell transplantation. The cord blood can treat conditions such as leukaemia and lymphoma.
- It could save your baby’s life! If your baby needs an immediate transplant due to an illness or disease, having cord blood stored might mean a match is already on hand for when the time comes for treatment. This means there won’t be any waiting around while doctors search for a suitable donor match—they’ll have one ready!
- It may save your other children’s lives too! If one of your other children needs a bone marrow or cord blood transplant in the future, having stored cord blood from another child could help save theirs as well!
Delayed Cord Clamping vs Cord Blood Banking
Delayed cord clamping is a procedure that involves not clamping the umbilical cord until it stops pulsating. This is a good option for parents interested in cord blood banking, as delayed cord clamping helps preserve more stem cells in the baby’s umbilical cord.
Cord blood banking is when a family has their child’s umbilical cord blood stored after birth. The stem cells from the cord blood can then be used to treat diseases affecting millions worldwide, including leukaemia and sickle cell anaemia. When you bank your child’s cord blood, you have access to this valuable resource in case they need it as an adult.
When you delay cord clamping, your baby will receive more oxygen-rich blood from their placenta before it gets cut off. This means there will be more stem cells left in the umbilical cord after your doctor clamps it off—and these cells can be collected and used later if necessary.
Is Cord Blood Banking Available in Singapore
Yes, cord blood banking is available in Singapore. If you’re interested in cord blood banking in Singapore, check the details below:
Factors to consider
If you’re still wondering whether or not to opt for family cord blood banking, ponder upon these:
- Cord blood banking can only be done at the time of birth. There are no second chances.
- It is still a lot easier, safer and cheaper than finding a donor in case the need arises.
- It has tremendous potential as continuous research is being done on its application.
- The investment amount is manageable as family cord blood banks offer various financing packages.
There are so many family cord blood banks. How do I choose?
Prima facie, all the family cord blood banks appear the same. However, we made a comparison of the three family cord blood banks in Singapore. They will only be named A, B, and C for anonymity.
Years of Operation
Family Cord Blood Bank A, established in 2001, has been the longest operation, followed closely by Family Cord Blood Bank B, established in 2002. Family Cord Blood Bank C is the most recent, established only in 2013.
Storage Facilities
Family Cord Blood Bank B has a rented space, which may lead to fluctuations in the storage fees paid by parents, depending on the rental rates. Family Cord Blood Bank C does not own any laboratory or storage facility but has a contractual agreement with one of the hospitals in Singapore.
Cord blood banking | Image from Pexels
Stability
When you sign up for cord blood banking, these family cord blood banks agree to store your child’s stem cells for a lifetime. But what if the company folds? What happens to your precious cord blood stem cells, then?
Family cord blood bank A is a SGX-listed company. This implies that they are transparent in their processes and are highly accountable, especially to the parents who have chosen them. Family cord blood bank B is a private limited company, while Family Cord Blood Bank C has its origins in India.
When you sign up, ask the family cord blood bank about their contingency plan(s).
Accreditation
Family Cord Blood Bank A, established in 2001, is Southeast Asia’s first dual accredited family cord blood bank – AABB-accredited in 2005 and FACT-accredited in 2015. Meanwhile, Family Cord Blood Bank B was FACT-accredited in 2013 and family cord blood bank C does not hold any accreditations as they do not operate its storage facility.
Processing Technology
Technology is one of the most important factors when signing up with a family cord blood bank. The processing method determines the cell recovery rate and viability of your child’s cord blood stem cells.
Family Cord Blood Bank A is the first to adopt the Sepax®2 technology. This closed, automated stem cell processing technology maximises the number of stem cells harvested from your child’s cord blood. Also, Family Cord Blood Banks B and C have since adopted the same technology.
What’s the next step?
The next crucial step is ensuring the cells are carefully prepared for cryopreservation so they can be stored indefinitely while retaining their viability for treatment purposes.
Family Cord Blood Bank A is the only cord blood bank in Singapore to adopt the Smart-MaxTM technology – a fully automated cryoprotectant infuser, mixer and cooling device that allows for the consistent preparation of stem cells for cryopreservation.
Cordlife lab
This makes them the only cord blood bank in Singapore that offers fully automated processing from receipt to storage, thus reducing the chance of human error and increasing the cell recovery rate and viability of your child’s cord blood stem cells. Data about the other two family blood banks is unavailable.
Unique Service Offerings
Family Cord Blood Bank A is Singapore’s sole provider of umbilical cord lining. Only 1 of 4 family cord blood banks worldwide have been licensed to store umbilical cord lining.
This means that parents can maximise the medical options for their child and family members by storing 2 additional types of stem cells – Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) and Epithelial Stem Cells (EpSC).
This increases their medical options for possible therapeutic and regenerative applications in the future, especially for conditions with no known cure. No other family cord blood banks in Singapore offer this service.
Comparison Chart Between the Three Family Cord Blood Banks in Singapore
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Family Cord Blood Bank A
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Family Cord Blood Bank B
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Family Cord Blood Bank C
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Years of Operation
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16 years, since 2001
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15 years, since 2002
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4 years, since 2013
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Storage Facilities
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Fully-owned storage facility, with space for up to 650,000 families’ cord blood units
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Rented facility which is susceptible to rental costs increase
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Contracted facility
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Origins
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Singapore
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Singapore
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India
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Organisation Type
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Public company that is SGX-listed, thus offering transparency and corporate governance
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Private Limited
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Private Limited
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Accreditations
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- AABB-accredited since 2005
- FACT-accredited since 2015
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FACT-accredited since 2013
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No facility for accreditation
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Processing Technology
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- 1st in Asia to use Sepax®2 processing since 2005
- Uses Smart-Max® technology – a fully automated cryoprotectant infuser, mixer and cooling device that allows for the consistent preparation of stem cells for cryopreservation, making it the only family cord blood bank in Singapore that offers a fully automated process from receipt to storage
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Only started using Sepax® 2 from 2013
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Outsourced for external processing
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Unique Service Offerings
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- Storage of cord lining (MSC and EpSC cells)
- 1 of 4 family cord blood banks worldwide licensed to store cord lining cells
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Storage of cord tissue (MSC cells only)
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Storage of cord tissue (MSC cells only)
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Transplant Track Record
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19 transplant release cases
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No published transplant news
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No transplant track record
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Storage Fees
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Has flexible payment plans ranging from annual to pre-payment plans to suit different needs and preferences
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Increased storage fee from $250 to $275 in 2013
- Fees may fluctuate due to facility rental costs
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Only offers pre-payment plans over 5 years
- Fees may fluctuate due to facility rental costs
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Enrolment Process
When you enrol for cord blood banking, you should receive two things at the point of enrolment:
- A personalised cord blood collection kit to bring with you to the hospital on the day of delivery
- A contact number to call as soon as you deliver
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Other Important Questions Parents-To-Be Should Ask
While we have shared the main assessment parameters to consider, as potential users of this service, here are a few more questions that you should ask:
- What happens to your child’s cord blood if the company folds/is taken over by another company/ceases this line of business?
- What are the family cord blood bank’s transplant track records? Moreover, how many releases have they had so far?
- What are the pricing plans available? Is there any flexibility in the repayment methods?
The decision to store your child’s precious stem cells is important as you have only one chance to do so – at birth. Talk to your doctor if you are considering cord blood banking and make sure to have it included in your birth plan.
Updates by Pheona Ilagan
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.
