Are you expecting another bundle of joy? Or, are you pregnant for the first time and expecting multiples? Congratulations! While you are gearing up for taking care of two (or more) babies, it’s important to start planning for your children’s futures, including their health and wellbeing, by banking their cord blood and cord tissue.
Cord Blood and Cord Tissue Banking
If you were considering cord blood and cord tissue banking for your child, or children as the case may be, before you found out you what you were having then nothing should change.
When expectant parents have twins or multiples, it is recommended that they bank for all children. This is a common question that comes up time and time again, and our advice is to bank for all babies because it provides your family with more options if a medical issue arises.
Why Expectant Parents Should Consider Banking for Each Child
There are a number of reasons why you should consider banking cord blood and cord tissue for each child, whether your children are years apart, or mere minutes, and even if they are identical twins:
- More options: Banking for all children increases the number of options and chances that the child or family member in need will have access to a source of cord blood or cord tissue stem cells for medical treatment.
- Save cord blood from identical twins as a precaution: Even if you are expecting identical twins, it’s recommended you save cord blood and cord tissue and bank it separately. Since twins or multiples are typically smaller in size, and due to the difficultly of accurately determining whether they are truly identical saving both will maximize potential future usage.
- Twins or multiples can help each other: Healthy siblings can help a matched twin if stem cells are required, essentially allowing twins to treat each other with cells from cord blood if needed. It is much more likely you will find a match with your twin, or other sibling (chances are one in four that they’ll be a full match, even in fraternal twins) than from a donor list.
Still Have Questions About Cord Blood and Tissue Banking for Multiples?
Cells for Life offers information sessions and webinars in various locations throughout Canada to expectant parents and healthcare professionals. Find a webinar or info session today!