good health

Protecting the future of your babys health

Storing your newborn babys stem cells is simple, painless and cost-effective. Although you hope youll never need to use them, stem cells can help your child beat leukemia and other illnesses
hen Lisa Jones* twoyear-old son David* came down with a fever, she wasnt unduly concerned. Young children pick up all sorts of things and I thought he would soon get over whatever was making him grizzly and hot, recalls Lisa. When the fever hadnt gone down after nearly 10 days, she began to worry. A blood test revealed that David had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). It was devastating news for Lisa and her husband.

AVeRTIng A FAMIlY TRAgeDY

Six months pregnant, Lisa was terrified. I feared the worst. I was really worried about how we would cope with such a desperately sick child and a new baby. I was in Dubai, alone and without support. But then our doctor gave us a ray of hope. Lisas doctor told the couple about umbilical stem cells, which can be used to great effect to treat cancers and other diseases. He explained that if the blood in the babys umbilical cord was collected shortly after birth, the powerful stem cells within it could potentially be used to treat David. I never imagined for a moment that my pregnancy could end up being the reason our other child was saved, says Lisa. When Michael was born, we stored his cord blood and discovered to our great relief that he was a good match for David. It meant the stem cells that were collected were used to treat Davids leukemia. Without them, his treatment painful and draining chemotherapy could have taken many years, without any guarantee of success. With Davids illness now behind him, Lisa says that all parents should be made aware of umbilical stem cell storage. If I had known about it when David was born, I would have stored his cord blood. A babys own cord blood will always be a perfect match for treating him should he fall ill. We now have Michaels cord blood and stem cells stored for the next 25 years. At the moment, this could be used to treat diseases such as leukemias, lymphomas, certain immune disorders and cancers, but the list is growing and may one day include a range of diseases like diabetes,
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I NEVER IMAGINED FOR A MOMENT THAT My PrEGnAnCy COULD END UP BEING THE REASON our oThEr ChILD wAS SAvED, SAyS LISA

wOrds jOla chudy / images shutterstOck

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good health

ask the doctor

What is cord blood and stem cells?

dr Ailish O Connell answers questions from mums

Cord blood is what remains in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth. It is a source of stem cells, which transform, given the right stimuli, into a range of cell types (skin, liver, heart, red and white blood cells etc). These cells can be used therapeutically to restore function to the immune and blood systems after chemo or radiotherapy. Stem cells are the basis for bone marrow transplants.

STeM CellS SAVeD OUR BABY

Lara* and Kevin Lynch* are the proud parents of two healthy children, three-year-old Sophie* and two-year-old Matthew*. Sophie wasnt always a healthy child. Diagnosed at birth with sickle cell anemia, she lived with constant fevers and had to undergo painful transfusions to control her red blood cell count. Doctors said she might not live into her teens, says Lara. The family spent more than a year searching for a bone marrow donor and then for cord blood, but because Lara is of Middle Eastern descent, suitable donors were not found. When she fell pregnant, the couple decided to try the babys cord blood. Her son Matthew, a happy and much-loved toddler, has no idea yet that his birth brought the family a double joy. I had struggled to conceive with Sophie so when we found out that I was expecting, it was a surprise and also a relief because we knew how vital having a match was. Moments after Matthew was born, doctors banked his stem cells. These were used to replenish Sophies blood, which had been severely depleted by the chemotherapy. The transfusion was a simple, non-invasive procedure. Only two weeks later, Sophie started to improve, and one year on, she is well on the road to recovery.

needed and detecting diseased tissue it is an incredible process that even today is not fully understood.

One OF MeDICIneS FASTeST gROWIng AReAS

New benefits of umbilical stem cell storage are constantly being researched and discovered. One of the most exciting new areas is regenerative research, which is the repair of tissues and organs in the body, explains Dr Ailish. There are many different types of stem cells found in UCB, as well as hormones and growth factors, all of which contribute to better engraftment of the cells during transplant. At Cells4Life, we store the whole blood, which means that we capture all of these types of cells, those that are used today and those that are still being studied and may be used in future therapies. As more research is done, we want to ensure the samples are able to benefit patients. For example, there is growing evidence that cardiovascular disease and diabetes can be treated using UCB.

Is there any risk or possibility of discomfort to my baby or to me?

The collection of cord blood during a normal birth is a risk-free process and if the birth has any unusual complications, the collection may not take place, to ensure your babys wellbeing. During a normal collection, both of you are physically separated from the umbilical cord and placenta, so there is no discomfort; you as a mum wont even know its happening.

heart disease, Alzheimers and Parkinsons, among others. And its not just your family you should think about; in the hospital where David was treated, other children without a matching donation in their family were forced to undergo gruelling, sometimes invasive therapies. If you dont have the money to store blood for your own family, consider donating it to a cord blood bank, like at Al Wasl Hospital, says Lisa. You cannot sell cord blood it is illegal but donating can do something to help others that could one day save someones life.

WHAT ARe STeM CellS?

Stem cells are the most primitive, unspecialised cells in the body, explains Dr Ailish OConnell, medical director at Cells4Life, a UK company with Middle East offices in Dubai, that specialises in umbilical cord blood collection and storage. Their primary purpose is to repair and regenerate old and damaged cells. It makes them the perfect natural biological repair system. Adult stem cells are found in the bone marrow and the circulating blood, but are most plentiful in umbilical cord blood. There are more than 200 different types of cells and tissues that make

THE PRIMARy PURPOSE OF STEM CELLS IS TO REPAIR AND REGENERATE OLD AND DAMAGED CELLS

up the human body such as kidney cells, liver, heart, eyes blood cells, skin cells and so on. Stem cells have the ability to transform into any of these; their role is to heal and replenish the human body, which they do by sensing where there is damage. The first stem cell transplants were done in the 1950s and the first cord blood transplants in the 1960s. The first successful cord blood transplant was carried out in Paris by Dr E Gluckman on a five-year-old American boy with Fanconis Anaemia. The boy received cord blood from his sister in 1988. He was given a zero per cent chance of survival but, 22 years on from his transplant, he is alive and well and a father in his own right today. Since then, more than 25,000 transfusions have been carried out around the world.

Surely the odds of actually using the stored cord blood are pretty low?
Medical research estimates the odds of a child needing their newborn stem cells are 1 in 400 and a family member needing them, 1 in 200. These odds are for cancers, but there are many diseases like diabetes, Parkinsons, Alzheimers and spinal cord injury where cord blood can be used.

WHeRe TO STORe In THe UAe

Cells4Life, a UK company operating a service in Healthcare City, offers a full service, with UCB collection done in the UAE and samples stored safely and securely in the UK. Weve been operating here in the UAE since 2006, explains Darryn. We give parents all the information they need, supply the kit and ensure the sample is collected, stored and transferred properly. Cells4Life, has two facilities in the UK that fall under the most stringent regulations and monitoring. The cells are stored for up to 25 years in a secure facility, and should a transfusion be required, this can be done at approved transplant centres; currently in Western Europe, USA and Singapore. Medcells, the official Middle East distributor of Cells4Life, is located in Dubai Healthcare City. www.medcells.ae; 04 311 6613 *Names have been changed

WHY SAVe UMBIlICAl CORD BlOOD?

The best source of stem cells is umbilical cord blood, explains Cells4Life regional director, Darryn Keast. Stem cells occur naturally in everyone, but are present in their greatest and most powerful form in umbilical cord blood, says Darryn. They provide a perfect match for the child whose cord blood they come from, as well as potentially for family members. The cells are natural, biological building blocks. Compared to those in bone marrow, stem cells in cord blood are much better to use theyre only one minute old, and offer a perfect genetic match when needed.

eTHICAl AnD SAFe

There has been some misinformation surrounding stem cell research. Umblilical cord blood (UCB) stem cell collection is completely different to embryonic stem cell research, which is illegal because it requires destroying a human embryo. UCB stem cells are not the same as embryonic stem cells. Collecting stem cells from cord blood is a different area entirely. It is completely safe and does not harm you, your baby or endanger human life in any way, explains Dr Ailish. When a transfusion using stored blood is needed, a straightforward IV drip is used and the cells go around identifying what is

Is it very expensive to store the cells?

To store your babys cord blood for 25 years with Cells4Life costs US$3,375 (Dhs12,400). Buying the cells from an international public bank costs around US$50,000 (Dhs183,655).

Can my babys sample be used more than once?

No, once it has been transfused, it cannot be recovered from the body. However, Cells4Life stores the sample in separate containers, which can be used one at a time if needed.
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