The most important thing your ob-gyne should tell you

MANILA, Philippines - Motherhood, in addition to being a great gift, represents a world of responsibility.

It isn’t enough nowadays to bear children. With the change in the earth’s environment and the barrage of life-threatening illnesses, there is this innate and lingering fear within each concerned mother: How can she keep her little ones away from harm? What can she do to assure her children of a long and fruitful life? How sure can she be that she’s not missing something that could affect her child’s healthy future?

In the United States, pregnant women enjoy the benefit of getting educated about medical options that can, someday, save the lives of the child and other family members through cord blood and stem cell banking. 

Currently, 20 states in the US, representing 68 percent of the US population, have enacted legislation to mandate physicians and obstetrician-gynecologists (ob-gyns) to provide expectant parents, especially pregnant mothers, with “options for donating, discarding, or banking lifesaving newborn stem cells,” according to CordBloodAwareness.org.

There are other measures to ensure that women and expectant parents are well-informed about the process and the benefits of cord blood banking. The US government’s House Bill 2431, for example, mandates healthcare providers to educate their patients about the value of cord blood stem cells and the options for preserving these by helping expecting parents arrange for private cord stem cell storage prior to the third trimester of their pregnancy.

Separately, a federal legislation called the National Stem Cell Research Act of 2005 has also been put in place to “establish a searchable network of cord blood banks to allow quick and efficient matching for patients and ensure a significant increase in the inventory of cord blood stem cells.” These steps were undertaken to ensure that expectant parents will become well aware of available options that can help them prepare for the future healthcare needs of their families.

Legislative actions that will promote cord blood stem banking can greatly contribute to push for its vital inclusion in our national healthcare program. This becomes even more important when we consider the clinically proven potential of these samples to treat more than 80 diseases, most of which were previously regarded as incurable.

Dr. Arvin Faundo, medical consultant for CordLife, Southeast Asia’s only private stem cell bank accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks, explains how stem cells can help: “The stem cells from the cord blood are immature, they still do not have the so-called ‘memory cells,’ making them ideal for treating patients with various diseases. In fact, stem cell transplants have become a standard treatment option for patients with leukemia.”

Cord blood banking is not a cure-all though, Dr. Faundo says. But it is worth exploring. “There is no knowing what the future holds for stem-cell research and treatment. What we know right now is that it can help save lives. And of course, everybody deserves to be treated and to live.”

Cancer, one of the diseases that cord blood stem cell transplant can help treat, ranks as the third leading killer disease in the Philippines, with 103 cancer-stricken Filipinos dying every day, according to the Cancer Warriors Foundation, Inc.

Banking on cord blood: More and more families are opting to bank their children’s cord blood even though it is not yet considered protocol at childbirth as they see the importance of having those stem cells ready and waiting for any potential illness that may come their way down the line.

Other cancer types that cord blood stem cell banking has been proven to help treat are leukemia (cancer of the blood), neuroblastoma (cancer of the nervous system), lymphoma (cancer of the lymph glands), osteosarcoma (bone cancer), Wilms’ Tumor (kidney cancer), and breast cancer.

Filipino children, on the other hand, aren’t spared from these dreaded diseases as cases of leukemia and lymphoma affect an average of 63.7 and 14.5 kids, respectively, per million. Leukemia is the most common cancer type affecting children in general, accounting for 35 percent of all child cancers, followed by brain tumors (20 percent), lymphoma (10 percent), retinoblastoma or cancer of the retina (7 percent), and Wilms’ Tumor (6 percent).

On a brighter note, transplants of stem cells have saved the lives of roughly 20,000 Americans with leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia, and several other illnesses. 

Worldwide, there are ongoing clinical trials involving the use of stem cells to treat juvenile diabetes, cerebral palsy, brain injury, stroke and heart disease, liver disease, cartilage regeneration, eye disorders, spinal cord injuries, and auto-immune disorders.  Some of the most encouraging results indicate that stem cell treatments are safe and capable of repairing the damage caused by stroke and heart disease. With all these developments, it’s not surprising that one in 200 people may benefit from stem cell transplantation in their lifetime. 

To be sure, any new concept that is not the norm yet in terms of standard practice is likely to raise questions in terms of its necessity. Although a good percentage of moms have heard about cord blood banking, a very low percentage of them actually push through with it due to several reasons, including:

• Not enough research and knowledge on the practice of cord blood banking.

• The extra cost that cord blood banking will add to a mountain of expenses associated with childbirth and rearing.

• The inaccessibility of cord blood banking in the country, as many moms who have gone before have had to bank their baby’s cord blood in other countries such as the US and Singapore.

More and more families are opting to bank their children’s cord blood each day even though it is not yet considered protocol at childbirth, which is the only time the cord blood can be extracted. These families see the importance of having those stem cells ready and waiting for any potential illness that may come their way down the line.

Cord blood stem cell banking is the next big leap towards achieving a second life despite today’s health threats. Elevating awareness on the potential of this technology will help families make informed decisions about their future, and CordLife lets you take advantage of these minute wonders called stem cells.