Cord Blood Banking

Currently there are 2 companies in Malaysia offering cord blood banking services - StemLife & Chirocord.

Article from Netdoctor.co.uk

"Parents hoping to preserve their newborn baby's stem cells in case of future illness have been warned of the possible dangers associated with collecting the cells by health experts.

It is possible to collect stem cells from the umbilical cord blood immediately after birth, and these cells can then be stored with the possibility of being used in life-saving blood transplants in conditions such as leukaemia in later life.

Although the NHS will store the cord blood of those children known to be at a high genetic risk of developing certain illnesses, private companies are now offering the service to all parents, charging fees of up to £1,500.

This has drawn criticism from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), who argue that the benefits of stem cell storage are minimal in the vast majority of cases, and the process of cell collection – usually done immediately after birth – potentially dangerous.

A RCOG report released this week claimed that there was "insufficient evidence" to recommend the practice to parents at a low risk of passing on blood disorders like leukaemia.

It also pointed out that cells were collected immediately after birth, "where there is a risk of post-partum haemorrhage", putting both mother and baby at risk."