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Seven Tips for Delivery Day!
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
Everything you and your doctor need for a successful collection is provided in your Viacord kit. We’ve got a few tips to share to ensure the process goes smoothly.
1. LET THE STAFF KNOW UPON ARRIVAL
Letting the medical staff know you’ve chosen to collect your baby’s cord blood or cord tissue, or both is an important first step in the cord blood collection process. Even if it’s noted in your files, telling the staff at the hospital of exactly what you’ve ordered will ensure everyone’s in the know. And if medical staff shift rotation takes place during your time in labor, inform the replacement staff as well. Keeping everyone in the know is the way to go!
2. COLLECT EVEN WITH A C-SECTION
When moms go in for a c-section, whether it’s planned or unplanned, sometimes the collection kit gets left behind. Make sure it’s known that you want to collect your cord blood or cord tissue or both – whichever you ordered, so the medical staff will make sure the kit is in the c-section room. ViaCord’s sterile collection bag is FDA…
Categories: Did You Hear?, Trends in Healthcare
Mesenchymal Stem Cells May Unlock New Treatments
Tuesday, June 28th, 2011
The different types of stem cells contained within cord blood are currently used to treat nearly 80 diseases. Scientists hope that with more research, this list will continue to grow. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are drawn from umbilical cord tissue, may be one key in the efforts to treat more diseases and disorders.
MSCs provide new hope to patients with debilitating diseases
Patients with liver fibrosis, lung cancer, Parkinson’s and other complex diseases have limited treatment options today, so opening new avenues for treatment is important. The unique ability MSCs have to repair damaged cartilage, muscle and tissue suggests their potential in medical applications. As a result, a significant amount of research is underway to better understand this potential. Below are findings from some of the pre-clinical studies using MSCs extracted from cord tissue:
Categories: Did You Hear?, Trends in Healthcare
2010 Recap: Cord Blood Research, Viacord and More
Friday, January 21st, 2011
2011 is here; can you believe it? Many positive things happened for cord blood research, ViaCord families and ViaCord in 2010. Let’s take a moment to look back at some of the highlights.
Important cord blood stem cell research paves the way for treatment possibilities
Here is just some of what went on this year:
Progress continued in trials using cord blood stem cells in regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine applications require a patient to use his or her own cord blood stem cells in treatment. As a result a number of ViaCord families have been able to participate in these trials.
Categories: Emerging Treatments, Trends in Healthcare
Newborn Genetic Screening – more than just a cord blood bank
Wednesday, December 15th, 2010
The Value of Newborn Genetic Screening
Preparing for parenthood can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. Wondering what life will be like once your little one arrives is fun to do, but it can also be intimidating. The unknown can be the most terrifying part of becoming a parent, but there are some measures in place to help parents take a little of the unknown out of their child’s future. One measure is newborn genetic screening.
Newborn genetic screening is a panel of tests that identifies your child’s risk for inherited genetic and metabolic disorders. Early detection of these disorders is important because babies may not show obvious signs that they have an inherited disorder until after more serious symptoms have developed. Early identification can give your physician the opportunity to start specialized medical treatment and intervention that may improve your baby’s long-term health.
Categories: Trends in Healthcare
Grandlife for today’s Grandparents
Monday, November 15th, 2010
Forget the rocking chair and bridge club; today’s grandparents are more active than ever and are playing an increasingly important part in today’s family life. They represent more than the Sunday afternoon visit. Today, grandparents often provide regular childcare as well as emotional and financial support to their grandchildren and their families.
But even with today’s more engaged generation, some grandparents still feel they want to help out but don’t know how, as ViaCord’s communications expert and best-selling author, Laurie Puhn, points out in her ExpectingWords.com blog. One way ViaCord is seeing grandparents get involved is by helping mom and dad with the decision to bank their baby’s cord blood. Not too surprising seeing as today’s grands are acutely aware of the importance of good health and the significant advancements being made in medicine today.
Categories: Trends in Healthcare
Clinical Trials Offer Hope for Families Affected by Cerebral Palsy and Diabetes
Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
Today, cord blood stem cells can be used to treat nearly 80 life-threatening diseases and are offering new hope to families affected by conditions that only years ago had no stem cell treatment options. A couple of the most exciting possibilities of cord blood stem cells lies in clinical trials now being conducted to determine whether a child’s own cord blood stem cells may be used to treat cerebral palsy and Type 1 Diabetes.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a general term used to describe a group of neurological disorders that appear in early childhood and permanently affect muscle coordination and body movement. It is most often caused by brain injury or
Categories: Emerging Treatments, Transplants and Infusions, Trends in Healthcare