Expectant families receiving maternity care at The View Hospital will now have access to Sidra Medicine’s cord blood banking services under a new agreement between the two healthcare organisations.
The partnership allows eligible maternity patients at The View Hospital to register for the service, expanding access to local collection and storage of newborn umbilical cord blood in Qatar.
Following collection, samples will be transported to Sidra Medicine’s Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility, where they will undergo processing and testing before being placed in long-term cryogenic storage under recognised quality standards.
What is cord blood banking?
Cord blood is the blood that remains in a newborn’s umbilical cord and placenta after birth. It contains hematopoietic, or blood-forming, stem cells, which can be used in transplantation for certain diseases affecting the blood and immune systems.
The collection takes place after the umbilical cord has been clamped and cut. According to Sidra Medicine, the procedure is painless and non-invasive for both mother and baby and does not interfere with vaginal or Caesarean delivery.
Because cord blood can only be collected at birth, families considering banking it need to make the decision during pregnancy or around the time of delivery.
Why are cord blood stem cells significant?
Cord blood-derived stem cells are already used in established treatments for certain blood-forming, immune and inherited disorders. Research is also exploring possible regenerative applications for other conditions.
However, experimental applications should be distinguished from established treatments. For example, while research is ongoing into conditions including autism and other neurological disorders, the US Food and Drug Administration notes that cord blood-derived stem cell products are not approved in the US for treating autism or other non-blood-related conditions.
Samples stored locally in Qatar
Sidra Medicine says its GMP facility is the only facility in Qatar providing local cord blood storage, allowing families to keep their samples within the country rather than relying on overseas storage.
Local processing and storage can also allow faster handling of samples and direct access to Sidra’s specialised teams. If stem cells are later required at an authorised medical centre abroad, Sidra says it can facilitate their preparation and transfer.
The same GMP facility also supports other advanced services at Sidra Medicine, including the preparation of bone marrow stem cells for transplantation and cell and gene therapy products used in paediatric care.
Expanding maternity care options
Sidra Medicine Acting CEO Mohammad Al Mana said the agreement is intended to make advanced healthcare services more accessible to families across Qatar, while giving expectant parents additional options as part of maternity care.
The View Hospital Director Yannis Angouras said the collaboration complements the hospital’s services for women and children by connecting expectant families with Sidra Medicine’s cord blood banking capabilities.
By integrating cord blood banking into the maternity pathway at The View Hospital, the partnership gives more families in Qatar the option to preserve a biological resource that can only be collected at birth while keeping the processing and long-term storage within the country.
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