FAQs
THE PRESERVATION PROCESS
Keeping your child’s stem cells is very simple, our Customer Support will assist you step by step.
Contact us on 0800 610 610 or email us at info@mybabycells.ch and you will receive all the necessary information on the collection and the bureaucratic procedure to be followed.
Samples are collected immediately after birth, when the umbilical cord that unites the mother to the child is cut. The collection procedure is simple, takes a few minutes and is completely painless for both the mother and the child.
When the procedure is completed, call 091 960 22 20 to arrange the pickup. The samples will arrive directly in the laboratory where they will be processed and cryopreserved. Afterwards we will send you the results of the process and the Certification of the conservation of your samples.
Following your order, you will be sent the collection kit which you need to take to the hospital upon admission. Inside the kit, you will find the instructions and documentation necessary for the storage of your samples.
Before giving birth, make sure that all documents are completed, signed and placed inside the kit box or already delivered to Swiss Stem Cell Science. Without your consent, the samples cannot be processed.
The blood and cord tissue is collected after the cord has been severed and the child has been removed. The health worker will place the samples of blood and cord tissue and the maternal samples inside the kit.
When the above procedure has been completed, contact the number 091 960 22 20 to arrange for your kit to be collected. If the birth takes place during the weekend or on holidays, keep the kit at room temperature, away from heat and call to announce the birth and organise the collection, which will take place the following Monday morning, or the first working day immediately after the holidays.
The kit will be picked up by our dedicated courier for the transport of biological material and delivered directly to the laboratory.
Our collection kit is a thermal box that isolates the sample from external temperatures. It has its autonomy and keeps the samples in optimal conditions, at room temperature, until it reaches our laboratory. Inside the kit there are one or two (depending on the season) temperature stabilisers that guarantee the samples the temperature required during transport.
Your samples will be processed as soon as they arrive in the laboratory following the highest quality standards.
The laboratory processes 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year, compliant with the guidelines, guaranteeing the best results to the client.
Before long-term freezing in liquid nitrogen, all samples of blood and cord blood are processed in such a way as to guarantee the quality of the samples taken and to exclude any possible contamination or bacteriology.
Each sample is individually processed by highly experienced and qualified laboratory technicians.
Your child’s blood and cord blood samples will be processed and stored in a our Biobank Swiss Stem Cells Biotech (SSCB) based in Switzerland and is the only one with FACT NetCord certification.This accreditation ensures that your sample will be accepted in all medical institutions worldwide. Only 5 private biobanks worldwide can boast FACT-Netcord accreditation. We were the first biobank in Europe and is the only one in Switzerland to receive this accreditation
All storage tanks have an individual security system and are monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
We hope you will never need it, but if it were to be, it will be our care to follow you along this path. If you need the stem cells for a therapeutic treatment, we will release the samples free of charge.
After agreeing the consent documents with you, we will agree with your doctor to arrange the safe delivery of the samples to the transplant centre indicated at the requested date and time.
The collection of blood and / or tissue of the anatomical tract of the umbilical cord does not interfere with the birth stages, nor does it alter the procedures with which the medical staff give birth to the child.
No. Whether you opt for a natural birth, a caesarean section or an induced delivery, there should be no problem collecting your child’s stem cells.
We always advise the medical staff to perform the withdrawal in the first minute after delivery. Any action performed after this time limit may affect the amount of cord blood available.
In any part of the world you live, the preservation of your samples at Swiss Stem Cell Science (Switzerland) will always be guaranteed.
In the event of a transfer, please remember to inform us of your new address and contact information so that we can keep your data up-to-date.
STEM CELLS
Stem cells are not yet specialised, primitive cells, with the extraordinary ability to self-renew and differentiate into a multitude of cells. They create a direct link between the health of the child when it is born and the future.
If the child were to have any age-old health problem, stem cells can be the key to restoring their health.
Cord blood stem cells are already used in the treatment of 85 diseases including leukaemia, anaemia and thalassaemia, with a constantly growing list. Those of the cordon tissue instead contribute to the growth, regeneration and repair of damaged tissues.
Since 1988, more than 50,000 cord blood samples have been used for clinical applications worldwide.
It is advisable to conserve stem cells for each child individually in order to ensure that you have a sample available with 100% compatibility for each of your children.
It is scientifically proven that there is a 25% probability of compatibility between brothers and sisters.
It is very likely that your samples are perfectly guaranteed and usable for a much longer period than this. Swiss Stem Cell Science believes it is more ethical to initially offer a 25-year retention period, but of course today there is the possibility to extend the conservation period for ten more years.
A cord blood sample should be between 20 and 60 ml, although this may differ greatly due to the size of the umbilical cord itself and the birth circumstances.
The sample must contain a minimum number of stem cells CD34+ to allow us to consider it suitable for a possible future therapeutic treatment. If your cord blood sample does not meet this requirement, you will have the option to refuse storage.
In Switzerland, there are several hospitals where you can choose to donate umbilical cord blood stem cells to the public banks system.
The umbilical cord blood stem cells could be used to treat someone else around the world. However, you will no longer have direct access to this precious sample. For more information, please contact the Swiss Italian Blood Transfusion Center (CRS).
After the process and the preservation of the samples, you will receive a written confirmation together with the certificate of conservation which contains the univocal code of the samples, the stem cell count (CD34+), the results of the maternal blood tests and the results of the microbiological tests.
Currently, cord blood stem cells can be used to treat a wide range of 85 diseases, including:
- Red blood cell proliferation disorders (Anaemia, platelet disorders and others)
- Hereditary disorders of the immune system (severe combined immunodeficiency, neutropenia and others)
- Cancer (leukaemia, bone marrow cancer and more)
- Hereditary metabolic disorders (mucopolysaccharidosis accumulation diseases, leukodystrophy disorders, etc.)
Hereditary disorders affecting the immune system and other organs (hair hypoplasia, Gunther’s disease)
The laboratory has a time limit of 68 hours for the samples to arrive in our Biobank based in Switzerland. Samples must be subjected to the separation procedure within 72 hours of birth.
After choosing the desired service, you can order and receive the collection kit through four options: payment by instalments in 4, 6 or 12 months or payment in a single payment. In the event that the procedure does not have a positive outcome, a refund is always guaranteed, depending on when the service is interrupted. Contact us for more information.
Yes. Contact us on 0800 610 610 for more information.
Yes. Contact us on 0800 610 610 for more information.
Cord blood contains haematopoietic stem cells used for the treatment of blood-related diseases such as leukaemia, anaemia and thalassaemia.
The cord tissue contains mesenchymal stem cells able to specialise in a multitude of cells, capable of forming, for example, the muscular, cartilaginous, bone, connective or fatty tissues. They are mainly used in the treatment of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cerebral palsy.
In the (highly unlikely) case where the bank where the samples are stored becomes insolvent, Swiss Stem Cell Science will transfer the samples to another equally accredited facility in Switzerland that will comply with the terms of the original agreement. In this case we will inform immediately the families.
Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are currently used to treat 85 blood diseases and other related diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are used in regenerative medicine with the ultimate goal of replacing, repairing or regenerating the vital function of cells and tissues. Stem cells are actively studied for the treatment of many diseases, such as cerebral palsy, type I diabetes, brain disorders, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, liver disorders, neurological diseases, and others.
There are alternatives to the preservation of cord blood, such as the removal of stem cells from bone marrow and peripheral blood. However, stem cord cells have numerous advantages: they are the youngest and most effective cells found in the human body, and are relatively free of environmental and electromagnetic contamination. Furthermore, the procedure for their collection is non-invasive and immediately available.
Your child’s stem cells can be used by anyone with a histocompatibility of at least 80%, such as a brother or sister. Stem cells of a relative (preferably brother/sister) are generally the first transplant option when considering the source of stem cells. In most allogeneic transplants (recipient other than donor) stem cells from a family member are used.
If the child had a genetic disease, such as sickle cell anaemia, the stem cells would have the same genetic defect. In the case that the autologous stem cells (from the person themself) could not be used, the cord blood of a brother / sister would be the best option.
It is estimated that around 600 samples were released from private cord blood banks for autologous and allogeneic transplants of a sibling or family member.