News
Thinking of others starts really, really young
Toddlers might not be as self-absorbed as you think. A study into altruism in 19-month-olds found that even when hungry, they would give a tasty snack to a stranger in need. The team at the University of Washington’s Institution for Learning and Brain Sciences studied nearly 100 toddlers and found not only do…
How Maia’s cord blood changed her life and the lives of her family
How Maia’s cord blood changed her life and the lives of her family Maia Friedlander was the first NZ child to be successfully treated with her own cord blood after suffering brain damage at birth. Thankfully her parents, Jillian and Daniel, had this option because they had saved Maia’s cord blood stem cells with…
Keeping Shai’s memory alive
Keeping Shai’s memory alive Frances Verter gave up a career at NASA to dedicate her life to telling expectant parents about the importance of cord blood banking. When her daughter Shai was born, Frances did not know cord blood banking was an option and had no idea of how life-changing these stem cells could…
Saving Frances’ cord blood saved her life
Saving Frances’ cord blood saved her life This is a cord blood story that is both heart-wrenching and inspirational. When Frances Everall’s family banked her cord blood with CordBank in 2002, they never dreamed it would be needed so soon and so dramatically. But at four years old their daughter was diagnosed with a…
Pandemic baby bonus
Singapore is planning to give couples around NZ$3200 for any baby born in the next two years. It’s a response to Covid-19 as surveys have shown around a third of couples there are planning to delay starting or extending their families as a result of the pandemic. The one-off payment is designed to…
Why friend networks are so important
If your friends are friends you are likely to feel more supported. A study done by Ohio State University has found people whose friends and family know and like each other feel they have more social support. The study author, David Lee, says the more cohesive and dense your network of friends and family is,…
The power of parents’ love
While it is well understood parents often put their own relationship to the side to meet their children’s needs, it turns out that might not be the best approach. Using unique data from Nepal, researchers from the University of Michigan and McGill University in Quebec has found the affection between parents shapes their children’s…
Imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery
A six month old baby is smarter than you might think and can understand when adults imitate them. A new study from Lund University in Sweden has found six month old infants perceive imitators as more friendly. The babies in the study looked and smiled longer at an adult who imitated them as…
Blood test could diagnose baby brain damage just hours after birth
Scientists in London have developed a blood test which can detect which babies deprived of oxygen at birth are at risk of serious disabilities. The Imperial College team working with groups in India, Italy and the USA say the prototype test looks for certain genes being switched on and off that are linked to long…
New cord blood trial for spinal injury
New cord blood trial for spinal injury A clinical trial, using cord blood, lithium and physical therapy to treat the most severe forms of spinal cord injury has been given the green light from the FDA. The experimental treatment does not cure paralysis but is the first to help people with complete chronic spinal…