Basic Info on cord blood storage in Malaysia

 Back in 2010 when I first knew that I am pregnant with my first child, both husband and me decided to keep our baby cord blood. We have read a lot about the goodness of keeping your baby's cord blood. Many people have tried using the stored cord blood to cure their other child or their illness.
Some of the illness that have been provenly cured using cord blood are:-

• Foor Ulcers
• Talesmia
• Acute Leukemia
• High Risk Solid Tumors
• Anemia
• Sickle Cell Disease
• Some Immune Disorders Diseases
• Metabolic Disorders

More Info on the current proven diseases treated using cells in cord blood, click here.

When I was about 5-6 months pregnant, we arranged our first meeting with one of the cord blood storage company in Malaysia. Back in 2010, the numbers of companies who managed the storage of cord blood are not blowing like now in 2012. I contacted two different companies, namely StemLife and CryoCord. The agents from both companies are very nice. We were talking via phone and sms until I understand all their rules, regulations, payments, storage etc. Then, I made my decision to store our child cord blood with StemLife. Some more, my SIL also using StemLife. Plus, at StemLife, if we referred a person to use StemLife, we are rewarded with RM150...

The Payment
 Upon registring ourselves for StemLife company, to store our child's cord blood during labour, we will need to pay RM2000+. I can't remember the exact figures unless I dug in our folders full of stemlife receipts payments etc.
Method of payment can be either by cash, cheque, credit card or online banking.
Then, we'll received a starter kit as shown in picture.

 
 You will need to bring this starter kit when you are in labour. Please inform the doctor or midwife earlier that you are going to store your baby's cord blood. The doctor will do all the procedures using items provided in this starter kit.

For Stemlife payment scheme, you can read here.
But if you are confused, there are several plans for you to choose. For example, you can do installment month by month basis until your child is 20 years old. Or monthly installment for 12 months only until your child is 1 year old. And the amount is deducted every month on the day your child was born. We choose the second options and we are done paying StemLife for the next 20years.
After 20 years or some company 22 years, your child can decide to continue storing his/her cord blood using their own money or to stop storing it.

The Procedure
When I was in labour, I bring along the starter kit to the labour room. Hand it to the midwife and they will place in a seen location in the labour room. At the same time, I contacted my StemLife agent telling her that I am already in labour. of course I did not call her by myself. My husband did since I was struggling with the contractions and pains.
After deliver, doctor will take an amount of blood from the cord and stored it.
Then, a responsible person from StemLife will be waiting outside the labour room to collect the samples and sent straight away to their lab for storage. This service is 24 hours. No matter you are delivering on midnight or early morning.
Btw, mummy's blood will be taken too.
As for my case, they did not took enough amount of my blood during the labour, so they did this the day after delivery and rush it to the lab to store it together with the cord blood.

Nowadays, lots of companies have offer to store the cord blood. You can choose from these ranges. But the most important things that I look into before deciding which companies to choose are-

- the location of the banking store. must be near to hospital, easily reachable, known place
- the way they handle the cord blood. can check in their websites and ask your agent
- availabality of the agent, anytime you need to deliver.
- price and payment they offer.
- successful stories of those have been cured using cord blood stored in the company's lab
- as a Muslim, I prefer a company or at least the agent that attend me is also a Muslim since I am dealing with blood and all, rasa mcm senang and mudah nak faham. Plus, can also ask about hukum hakam menyimpan cord blood ni dgn agent.

Here are some companies that offer to store the cord blood in Malaysia

StemLife
CryoCord
Cell Safe
Stem Tech
Cord Life - foreign company, lab operated in Singapore


For more medical info on this, can read Health Ministry Technology Review on Cord Blood Banking here.