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"The umbilical cord blood is generally thrown away after birth. And yet that blood has magical qualities in it." Sir Richard Branson

Stem cells

When a new baby arrives, the happy mum and dad often want to put something aside for the child's future.

Usually it's money, but for some parents, it's blood.

Inside Out investigates how Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson is setting up a company which will let families store stem cells from their child's umbilical cord.

It's thought these cells could be used to fight disease in the future.

But is it more science fiction than science fact?

Fighting future disease

In the South East of England the idea of banking this magical blood is nothing new.

A Kent-based company has been storing stem cells for the past four years. So what do they make of the Virgin brand muscling in on their patch.

They believe that Richard Branson coming into the market can only be good news.

The awareness that's going to be raised as a whole is going to be enormous.

The idea that one day we'll all have our own biological repair kit is tantalising.

Common diseases could be a thing of the past.

New mum

Becky Ward from Uckfield in East Sussex is about to become a mum for the first time.

Foetal blood stored for the future. Photo - 大象传媒 Science Library.

Like may women she has opted for a home delivery complete with a birthing pool.

But there will also something else a bit unusual at the scene of the birth - a kit for collecting blood from the umbilical cord of her newborn baby.

The blood inside the umbilical cord is rich in stem cells.

Becky says:

"It's just an insurance policy. You never know what the future will hold.

"If we don't need them, they'll be destroyed in 25 years but if we do need them, we've got them."

Some scientists believe future medical advances will mean stem cells can be used to cure diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease and cancer.

So Becky and her husband Julian are paying a private company 拢1,500 to store these stem cells in case their child gets ill in the future.

Becky sees it as common sense, "Although you don't know if it'll ever be needed, it's a great weight off your mind in the future at some point."

Profit or practical?

But there are concerns that companies offering parents a way of protecting their child in the future are playing on their fears for profit.

We visited the Cells4life laboratories in Brighton where the blood from Becky's baby will be stored for future use.

The centre's Director, Dr Jeff Drew, says that the procedure is very rigorous and does not play on parents' fears:

"We deliberately set out to use no emotive advertising. We are very clear that the chances of needing these cells are very remote at the moment.

"Everything we do is based on facts."

Blood bank champion Richard Branson. Photo - PA Images

The success of such programmes is based on the belief that major advances in treating common diseases are just around the corner.

But not everyone shares this optimistic vision of the future.

Professor Anne Bishop from Imperial College London is at the cutting edge of research into stem cells:

"I think that as with most of these things, there's an awful lot of hype...

"About what can be done with stem cells in the future? For sure people can be treated now especially young children with leukaemia.

"At the moment though to put that forward 10-20 years and say well we're going to be able to build heart and lungs - at the moment that's almost a dream."

But will commercial companies like this one still be around in 10 or 20 year's time should you find you need your cells?

Dr Drew is adamant that this will not be a problem:

"Well if we did fold for any reason, in our contract we've made clear there are other companies that could take over the storage.

"So it wouldn't be the end of the world. In all likelihood there would be an additional payment. But it's something that you can't get insurance for."

Other options

But there are other options available.

The NHS collects around 2,000 cord blood samples every year.

The difference is that these cells can be used for anyone to treat leukaemia. You don聮t need your own stem cells.

Professor Peter Braude, Chair of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, would like to see more samples going into this national bank.

Stem cell research is advancing fast. Photo - AP Images.

"If you look at the NHS cord blood bank, they have operatives available to take the blood free of charge and from people who donated the cord blood to a national bank.

"The placenta is passed from the delivery to the operatives so they take no part in the delivery.

"It doesn't distract anybody from the process and they collect the blood very carefully in order to store it in the national cord bank."

Some see stem cells as the holy grail of medicine while others believe their promise is being hyped for profit.

Caught in the middle is the parent who simply wants to do the best for their child.

Crystal ball gazing

So who's right and who's wrong?

The trouble is no one knows what's going to happen.

In medical research there are no guarantees.

And, in the future, if it turns out that if you've wasted your money, there are no refunds.

Without the help of a crystal ball, it's impossible to know where such research will lead.

But there's one thing we do know for certain - it hasn't deterred mums like Becky Ward and thousands like her.

Becky is part of a growing trend towards commercial stem cell banking:

"It's peace of mind to know that the cells are now stored and should my son ever need them they're there waiting."

And it's a trend that looks set to continue in the future...

Sarah Mackenzie Jones from Bromley in Kent gave birth to baby Eleanor just three weeks ago and didn't think twice about banking her daughter's cells:

"It's one little window of opportunity. You've got that one moment in time to do it.

"And if you don't do it, then you can't turn the clock back and collect them any other time...

"And it's cheaper that your mobile phone insurance or your home and contents... The thought of - if we hadn't done it and then something came up - would just be dreadful."

So is this biological insurance policy a good investment for your child's future or a waste of money?

The decision is yours...

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