Cord blood banking: Savvy parenting

Many expectant parents today go beyond finding out the gender of their 

unborn child and whether he or she may potentially have a genetic disorder. Today, many parents consider to store their baby’s umbilical cord blood.

Some have called it a kind of biological insurance for your child’s future. 

Cord blood, also called “placental blood,” provides a rich source of stem 

cells these are cells that have been clinically proven to treat blood related 

diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma and thalassemia major.

Cord blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta 

following the birth of a baby and after the umbilical cord is cut. During 

pregnancy, the umbilical cord functions as a lifeline between mother and 

child. After a baby’s delivery, the cord blood present in the umbilical cord 

offers hope for the child in case unexpected illness arises. It is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells1 (HSCs), which are primarily responsible for 

replenishing blood and regenerating the immune system.

Umbilical cord blood has been clinically proven to treat diseases such as 

leukemia, lymphoma and thalassemia major. Several new applications are also being studied, such as the Duke Medicine Trial to explore possible 

treatment of Autism through the use of cord blood.

Today cord blood stem cells are being used to replace and regenerate 

damaged or diseased bone marrow, treat certain blood cancers, and correct genetic defects (sibling/allogeneic transplantation), even as their potential 

for cellular therapy and regenerative medicine has yet to be fully explored.

The good news for Filipino parents is that they need not leave the country to be able to give their unborn child a leg up on life. Cordlife Philippines, the country’s first and only cord blood processing and cryopreservation facility, seeks to better serve the cord blood banking needs of the local market.

Cordlife Philippines also offers Cord Blood Network 2, a company-initiated program that assists in the search for a matching cord blood, 

should the company’s clients need to find a type that will match any of 

members in the family.

Furthermore, being a consumer healthcare company dedicated to caring for the mother and child, Cordlife has also developed the most advanced newborn screening in the market. MetascreenTM is a comprehensive newborn screening test that can detect up to100+ metabolic disorders, through a non- invasive technique using only the infant’s urine. These metabolic disorders,

 also known as Inborn Errors of Metabolism, if left untreated can cause 

serious developmental issues and lifelong complications and in some 

instances death.

Launched in 2010 and registered with the Department of Health, Cordlife’s ISO-certified facility was built in accordance to global gold standards such as the American Association of Blood Banks to give Filipino families peace of mind. The 365-day facility is equipped with the world’s most advanced fully automated cord blood processing system, SEPAX3, and has a storage capacity for 30,000 cord blood units. Cordlife Philippines is a subsidiary of Cordlife Group Limited, a company listed on the Singapore Exchange.

“Cordlife Group Limited has more than thirteen years of experience in cord blood processing and cryopreservation. Apart from our state-of-the-art facilities established in Singapore and Philippines, our network extends to Hong Kong, Mainland China, India and Indonesia. So, yes, parents can put their complete trust and faith in our technology, equipment, and personnel,” said Dr. Arvin Faundo, Cordlife Philippines Medical Director.

Michael Arnonobal, Cordlife Philippines Director, says the company’s values – integrity, honesty, pursuit of excellence, creativity, constructive self-criticism, continuous self- improvement, and mutual respect – are the reasons why Cordlife Medical Philippines is the number 1 choice among Filipino parents. “We are committed to our clients and partners even as we embrace big challenges and pride ourselves in overcoming them. We also take pride in our stringent standards, and guarantee that your baby's cord blood unit will be screened, processed, and stored according to the strictest international quality assurance standards.”

To know more about Cordlife, call them at: (02) 470-1735 / 0917-5707472 or send an email at: info@ph.cordlife.com