A total of 7% of new parents in Romania harvest stem cells from the umbilical cord at birth, a rate that is constantly growing despite the declining birth rate.

The already mature market reached a turnover of EUR 18 million, with an annual increase of 5%, and the growth trend is expected to continue this year, according to Baby Stem, the local partner of German stem cell bank Seracell.

Those who usually agree with the stem cell harvest procedure are couples with an average social status. They choose different packages, and most of them (80%) make the payment in several installments.

“There are still skeptical parents who don’t trust this medical service, either due to unsuccessful experiences with complicated and incomplete procedures, or the lack of information. But the fact is that 27 years have passed since the first successful transplant of stem cells from umbilical cord blood, the patient being completely healthy now,” said Alexandra Baban, general manager Baby Stem.

Stem cells are cells with the potential to develop into many different types of cells in the body. They serve as a repair system for the body.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com