Introduction
The Dubai Health Authority has begun its first cost-free stem cell and cord blood preservation program.
All Dubai expatriate families with children who have previously received such a diagnosis are eligible for the program.
Typically, it costs more than Dh15,000 to keep cord blood frozen for 25–30 years. This action may significantly improve the lives of these families.
A cord blood bank supported by the Dubai Health Authority provides cord blood storage that is free for five years. It is a part of a larger initiative to increase knowledge of stem cell banking in the UAE.
There are several advantages to storing cord blood in a bank, including the possibility of treating hereditary disorders or diseases.
Then, in a safe holding environment, these stem cells may be kept forever and then removed as needed.
Storing Stem Cells
There are two options when you want to store your newly born stem cells. Here we have described the two options further:
Private Cord Banking:
Those with a significant family history of certain disorders that damage the blood and immune system may benefit from private cord blood banking services.
A private bank will charge families to preserve their child’s cord blood, which will never be shared with another family or used for research.
According to specialists, parents who already have a child who suffers from one of these disorders have the best chance of matching.
Public Cord Banking:
Due to the rarity of the disorders that can need cord blood transplantation, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises public cord blood banking. These non-profit organizations offer free cord blood storage for donors. Access to your own cord blood isn’t assured; it becomes accessible for any transplant patient and for research purposes.
According to the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the likelihood that a baby’s cord blood cells would be utilized for transplantation is 30 times higher in the public cord blood banking system. According to some projections, 1 in 400 to 1 in 200,000 children will eventually require their own stored cells.
Cell Save: An Affordable Option For Private Cell Banking
CellSave has combined its more than two decades of expertise and leadership in stem cell processing and development to provide CryoUltimate, the next generation of stem cell banking, with the most comprehensive service. CellSave wants you and your family to be fully ready for the future and equipped to seize any possibilities that may present themselves.
Keeping stem cells from all five sources helps them perform better and enables the healing and restoration of various tissues. The number of disorders that may be treated with stem cell treatments is expected to skyrocket. Therefore, we’re still devoted to offering our clients in the region the most up-to-date tools and techniques.
Private Stem Cell Banking Costs
The cost to collect, test, and register your child’s cord blood ranges from $1350 to $2350. Usually, private cord blood banking costs money, whereas public cord blood banking is free. Parents may feel more at ease knowing that their child’s stem cells are securely kept and will be accessible if necessary.
You must undergo multiple infection tests to donate your baby’s umbilical cord blood to a public or private cord blood bank. Aside from that, you’ll spend $100 to $175 a year for upkeep and storage. Because of the possible medical advantages that cord blood banking may offer, many parents choose to do so.
Private cord blood banking is not inexpensive; A one-time registration charge, a yearly storage fee, and additional costs apply if the cord blood is ever utilized for therapeutic purposes. Frances Verter, Ph.D., the organization’s founder, and director, asserts that “it just isn’t going to be inexpensive.”
Public Stem Cell Banking Costs
Umbilical cord blood is rich in blood-forming cells and can potentially save the life of a patient with a serious illness. Consult your doctor or midwife before donating cord blood to a public blood bank. Inform the labor and delivery nurse that you will donate cord blood if you have an elective cesarean section. Public cord blood banks cover all umbilical cord blood collection, testing, and storage.
Families may be guaranteed that their act of charity won’t be kept for their own family and that they won’t have to worry about the expense. Public banking has no costs as opposed to costs incurred by private cord blood banking. When you donate cord blood, you give up ownership of your baby’s stem cell and the contribution becomes property of the public bank.
This means there is no certainty that your child or another family member would have access to your baby’s cord blood if they ever needed a transplant. Contrarily, private cord blood banks provide you the peace of mind that, in the event of a medical emergency, you can access your child’s stem cells.
