Couples expecting a child and future parents have the opportunity to take out an insurance on their children’s future health thanks to the storage of cord blood stem cells.

Umbilical cord blood stem cells are easily available and have been used thousands of times to treat at least 45 different diseases and disorders such as Hodgkin’s Disease, certain anaemias and leukaemias and heart-related disorders.

A company which stores newborn stem cells, Smart Cells Malta, was officially launched yesterday in the presence of Smart Cells International CEO Shamshad Ahmed.

Managing director of Smart Cells Malta Sylvana Brannon said that more and more Maltese parents are becoming interested in storing their newborn’s cord blood stem cells.

“Malta is a good potential market and I am very excited about the future of Smart Cells Malta,” Mr Ahmed said.

The penetration of the product will be much higher in Malta owing to the island’s small size and more people were hearing about it through word of mouth, he added.

“While more awareness is needed on stem cells and relative research in the field, many parents are now reading up on the subject,” Ms Brannon said.

The first transplant using stored cord blood stem cells to treat thalassemia took place recently and the case so far has been successful.

Victoria Weislander is the first Maltese woman to collect her baby’s cord blood at St Luke’s Hospital.

She gave birth to her newborn child Andreas by caesarean section 11 days ago.

“I was slightly worried because it had never been done before at St Luke’s, but the midwives met with Ms Brannon who explained the procedure to them,” Mrs Weislander told The Malta Independent.

“It is a form of insurance for my son and his future siblings. The reaction from my family and friends was very positive,” said Mrs Weislander. “This should become standard procedure after every birth.”

The package, which costs Lm850, consists of a temperature-controlled collection kit, 25 years of storage, processing costs, standard courier charges and all stem cell retrieval costs.

The umbilical cord blood can be collected by a doctor or midwife immediately after birth and the process is very simple, said Ms Brannon.

“The procedure is painless for the mother and child and risk-free. It takes less than five minutes. The cells are collected from the umbilical cord before it is disposed of after delivery,” she added.

“There are no moral or ethical issues associated with stem cell technology,” legal advisor for Smart Cells Malta, Dr Jason Azzopardi said, unlike embryonic stem cell research which is a controversial subject.

“This is the first venture of its kind where a private company is closely collaborating with private and public authorities,” he said.

Ms Brannon said that Smart Cells Malta has signed an agreement with the Health Department.

“Expectant mothers undergoing the procedure in St Luke’s sign a waiver stating the hospital and midwives are not liable if there are problems with the extraction,” she added.

Ms Brannon said that regular information seminars on the subject are held in Malta and Gozo.

“We also hold individual consultations with interested families and sessions with private clinics,” she added.

Smart Cells International offered its services to families for umbilical cord stem cells storage in February 2001 and today has over 5,000 stem cell samples stored, Mr Ahmed told The Malta Independent.

Paediatric oncologist Dr Victor Calvagna said that stem cells can differentiate into other types of cells found in the human body to form the organs, skin, muscles, bone, nerve and blood system.

Smart Cells Malta is also working on a series of partnerships with the Malta Union of Midwives, the Midwives Association, St James Group, In the Family Way school of pregnancy, DHL and Medical Laboratory Services.

Smart Cells Malta will donate Lm10 from every extraction to Puttinu Cares and the Eden Foundation, Ms Brannon said.

For more information visit www.smartcellsmalta.com.