Most babies are born healthy and grow up without the threat of serious disease. However, serious illness can strike without warning.

Family Link is a way to provide access to future treatment for many diseases and medical conditions. Stem cell transplant is one method of treating some major medical conditions that the child may develop up through early adulthood. Stem cells are easily obtained from the umbilical cord and placenta after delivery. Family Link will preserve these stem cells by freezing them at ultra-low temperatures.

Later, the stem cells will be available for a possibly lifesaving transplant if the child is diagnosed with leukemia or other type of cancer. Or, if disease or treatment such as chemotherapy damages or destroys blood cells, stem cells can help the body rebuild.

The frozen cord blood may be used for the child or, if it is a match, for members of the immediate family. The chances that the stem cells will be a suitable match for a child’s biological brother or sister are 1 in 4; the odds of finding a suitable match outside the family can be thousands of times greater.

State-of-the-Art Medical Technology

Stem cells already are used to treat a variety of major diseases, and research constantly is uncovering new uses. Researchers are looking into the benefits of stem cell transplants to treat many forms of cancer, sickle cell disease and certain rare types of anemia.

With Family Link, stem cells are collected from umbilical cord blood after a child is born. Collecting the cells doesn’t interfere with the delivery or with the intimate moments between parents and a newborn. The collection procedure for Family Link is entirely painless for both mother and child. We preserve the blood cells — frozen in vapor phase nitrogen — using state-of-the-art medical technology.

Parents’ Peace of Mind

With Family Link, you are taking a significant step to protect your baby’s future good health. That’s especially comforting for families with a history of cancer or other diseases.

The chance that your child could benefit from a cord blood transplant is estimated to be about 1 in 10,000. In families that have experienced certain types of life-threatening conditions, it becomes more likely that cord blood could be helpful.

Benefits of Family Link

The most important benefit of Family Link is knowing you are doing something significant for your child’s continued good health. Scientists believe the blood may be usable for 20 years or more, providing benefits that include:

• Protection if your child’s blood cells are destroyed by chemotherapy treatment for cancer or by complications of disease
• A perfect match if your child needs a stem cell transplant
• Possible compatibility with a child’s siblings
• Avoiding the cost — sometimes more than $25,000 — of obtaining marrow or cord blood through a national bank from an unrelated donor

You can also:

• Download information about Family Link:
  • Collection instructions
  • Letter for physician
  • Physician/midwife competency certification
  • Notification of collection
• Receive a physical copy of Family Link information
• View frequently asked questions

Diseases Treatable by Stem Cell Transplant

Source:  Modified from the National Marrow Donor Program

Acute leukemias
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)
Acute biphenotypic leukemia
Acute undifferentiated leukemia

Chronic leukemias
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
Juvenile chronic myelogenous leukemia (JCML)
Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML)

Myelodysplastic syndromes
Amyloidsis
Refractory anemia (RA)
Refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts (RARS)
Refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB)
Refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation (RAEB-T)
Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML)

Stem cell disorders
Aplastic anemia (severe)
Fanconi anemia
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH)
Pure red cell aplasis
Congenital cytopenia
Dyskeratosis congenita

Myeloproliferative disorders
Acute myelofibrosis
Agnogenic myeloid metaplasia (myelofibrosis)
Polycythemia vera
Essential thrombocythemia

Lymphoprolifertive disorders
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Hodgkin’s disease
Prolymphocytic leukemia

Phagocyte disorders
Chediak-Higashi syndrome
Chronic granulomatous disease
Neutrophil actin deficiency
Reticular dysgenesis

Inherited metabolic disorders/liposomal storage diseases
Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS)
Hurler’s syndrome (MPS-IH)
|Scheie syndrome (MPS-IS)
Hunter’s syndrome (MPS-II)
Sanfilippo syndrome (MPS-III)
Morquio syndrome (MPS-IV)
Maroteauz-Lamy syndrome (MPS-VI)
Sly syndrome, beta-glucuronidase deficiency (MPS-VII)
Adrenoleukodystrophy
Mucolipidosis II (I-cell disease)
Krabbe disease
Gaucher’s disease
Gunther disease
Niemann-Pick disease
Wolman disease
Metachromatic leukodystrophy
Alpha mannosidosis

Histiocytic disorders
Familial erythrophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
Histiocytosis-X
Hemophagocytosis
Langerhans cell histiocytosis

Inherited erythrocyte abnormalities
Beta thalassemia major
Sickle cell disease
Blackfan-Diamond anemia
Pure red cell aplasia

Inherited immune system disorders
Ataxia-telagiectasia
Kostmannn syndrome
Leukocyte adhesion deficiency
DiGeorge syndrome
Bare lymphocyte syndrome
Omenn’s syndrome
Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)
SCID with adenosine deaminase deficiency
Absence of T and B cells SCID
Absence of T cells, normal B cell SCID
Common variable immunodeficiency
Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
X-linked lymphoproliferative disorder

Other inherited disorders
Lesch-Nyhan syndrome
Cartilage-hair hypoplasia
Glanzmann thrombasthenia
Osteopetrosis
Congenital erythropoietic porphyria

Inherited platelet abnormalities
Amegakaryocytosis/Congenital Thrombocytopenia

Plasma cell disorders
Multiple myeloma
Plasma cell leukemia
Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia

Other malignancies
Breast cancer
Ewing sarcoma
Neuroblastoma
Renal cell carcinoma
Brain tumors
Ovarian cancer
Small-cell lung cancer
Testicular cancer

Autoimmune
Evan syndrome
Multiple sclerosis (experimental)
Rheumatoid arthritis (experimental)
Systemic lupus erythematosus (experimental)

Potential future applications
Alzheimer’s disease
Diabetes
Heart disease
Liver disease muscular dystrophy
Parkinson’s disease
Spinal cord injury
Stroke
Chronic granulomatus disease disorder
Neutrophil actin deficiency
Reticular dysgenesis

Note: Any decision regarding use of a stem cell product for transplantation must always be discussed with a physician.

What to Expect from Norton Women’s Care

More mothers in Louisville and Southern Indiana choose to deliver their babies at Norton Hospital or Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital than with any other hospital system in the area.

We deliver more than 8,000 babies a year. We’re close to you with more than 90 providers at more than 25 locations around Louisville and Southern Indiana. Choosing Norton Women’s Care gives you many options for how delivery day could go — all with the confidence of knowing that our obstetrics and pediatric specialists are there to help. With Norton Women’s Care you’ll find:

• The birth experience you want. You can choose natural childbirth, a midwife, labor tub, nitrous oxide and other birthing options. We’ll recommend a C-section (cesarean section) or induced labor only if it’s medically necessary.
• Preparation. Our specialists offer the support you need, including free Lamaze and other childbirth classes, new parent classes, breastfeeding support, child safety classes and more.
• Confidence and quality in care. Norton Women’s Care has been recognized as High Performing — the highest rating available — for maternity care with fewer complications and C-sections, plus breastfeeding support and other benefits.
• The highest level (Level IV) neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Louisville and Southern Indiana at Norton Children’s Hospital, and a sophisticated Level III NICU at Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital.
• Around-the-clock OB/GYN care at Norton Hospital and Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital emergency departments.
• Board-certified maternal-fetal medicine specialists who can help guide you through a high-risk pregnancy, from preexisting diabetes to a fetal echocardiogram to diagnose a congenital heart defect before a baby is born.
• Convenient access to your medical record. Communicate with your health care provider, get lab results, renew prescriptions and more through your free MyNortonChart account.