CBR's Newborn Possibilities Program Provides Cord Blood Banking at No Cost to Families with an Identified Medical Need

SAN BRUNO, Calif., Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CBR® (Cord Blood Registry®) is working to expand awareness about its Newborn Possibilities Program® to expectant parents nationwide. This corporate initiative is designed to ensure that a newborn's stem cells are processed and stored at no cost in cases of identified medical need and high-risk deliveries to enhance treatment options and increase access to clinical trials for conditions where limited therapies currently exist. Nearly 3,000 physicians have collected units for the Newborn Possibilities Program and CBR has stored more than 4,400 units under the program since its inception.

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"The Newborn Possibilities Program is not only providing an important treatment option for family members diagnosed with specific cancers, blood diseases, or immune diseases, but may also help eligible children to enroll in clinical trials that are using a newborn's own stem cells as a treatment for conditions like brain injury or cerebral palsy which have no treatments available today," said Vice President, Scientific and Medical affairs at CBR, Heather Brown.

Expectant families may qualify for CBR's Newborn Possibilities Program if a family member has been diagnosed with a certain type of cancer (such as leukemia), or a blood/immune disorder (such as sickle cell anemia) that might require a stem cell transplant. Families may also qualify if their baby is prenatally diagnosed or born at-risk for a medical condition (like cerebral palsy) that could potentially be treated with the child's own cord blood stem cells.

Hospitals nationwide have signed agreements with CBR, where physicians are trained to collect cord blood and cord tissue as part of the Newborn Possibilities Program, Low Apgar Protocol. The protocol is performed when a newborn is given an Apgar score of three or less at five minutes after birth, putting them at higher risk for developing neurological conditions like cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain that control movement, posture and muscle coordination and affects approximately three out of every 1,000(1) children born in the United States.

Newborn Possibilities Pilot Program at Tucson Medical Center Yields Results

A similar program to identify babies at risk for cerebral palsy, recently concluded at Tucson Medical Center, is demonstrating the potential impact of the Newborn Possibilities Program. In less than two years, cord blood was collected at no cost from more than 1,000 babies who demonstrated signs of potential neurologic damage based upon predetermined criteria. Following the cord blood collection, CBR program managers contact the families on a regular basis to track the children's medical and developmental status. Of those who have been evaluated to date, four children have been identified as potential clinical trial candidates and more than 50 have shown signs of developmental delays, which can be indicators of neurological damage that would necessitate therapy in the future. 

"Giving back is a cornerstone of our culture, which is why we created the Newborn Possibilities Program," says Tom Moore, chief executive officer of CBR.  "This program allows us to give back in two ways:  as a safety net for children at-risk who may benefit from cord blood banking and as a catalyst to medical researchers to help advance stem cell science."

Please visit www.cordblood.com to learn more about the Newborn Possibilities Program or www.cordbankingbasics.com for an interactive experience that helps expectant parents and others make informed choices about cord blood banking options.

About CBR

CBR® (Cord Blood Registry®) is the world's largest and most experienced cord blood bank.  The company has consistently led the industry in technical innovations and supporting clinical trials. It safeguards more than 400,000 cord blood collections for individuals and their families. CBR was the first family bank accredited by AABB and the company's quality standards have been recognized through ISO 9001:2008 certification—the global business standard for quality. CBR has also released more client cord blood units for specific therapeutic use than any other family cord blood bank. Our research and development efforts are focused on helping the world's leading clinical researchers advance regenerative medical therapies. For more information, visit www.cordblood.com.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov/Features/dsCerebralPalsy, accessed February 6, 2012.

SOURCE CBR (Cord Blood Registry)