The green light it has received from the ministry comes with caveats, including being allowed to receive no more than 30 new cord blood units (CBUS) a month for the first six months. This is less than 10 per cent of the roughly 400 units a month that it used to get.
The majority of parents sign up to bank their babies' cord blood in the third trimester of pregnancy, so it will likely be a month or so before Cordlife starts receiving new CBUS when the babies are born.
MOH shut down the firm's operations on Nov 30, 2023, after finding that seven of its 22 storage tanks had been exposed to temperatures above minus 150 deg C, which could result in damage to the stem cells in the cord blood, making them non-viable.
Cord blood contains stem cells that may be used to treat blood diseases and some cancers, such as leukaemia and lymphoma, should the baby develop these illnesses later in life.
Of the 35 units withdrawn from Cordlife since it was set up in 2001 as the first cord blood bank in Singapore, 15 were taken out as the parents wanted to use the cord blood to treat the child's autism, while 11 units were used for cerebral palsy and five for leukaemia.
Group executive director Chen Xiaoling said the company has already received a few new customers, who signed up on Sept 16.
Denne historien er fra September 18, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 18, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
HIT THE RAILS ON A BIKE
It is always a thrill to pull out of a train station and feel yourself picking up speed, wheels click-clacking over the rails.
From drugs, jail and bankruptcy to social enterprise cafe for ex-offenders
Drugs. Bankruptcy. Failed marriages. And prison. But Mr Matthew Poh is not letting his past define him.
Small Rain finds great intimacy amid medical isolation
How has the Covid-19 pandemic shaped literary fiction? American novelist Garth Greenwell's turn from two erotically charged novels set in Bulgaria to his latest – a pandemic novel set in the sexless emergency ward of an Iowa hospital – offers answers.
Grab Singapore's managing director listens to audiobooks
Mr Yee Wee Tang, 48, managing director of Grab Singapore, recently announced that the company has upgraded its Grab Benefits 2.0 programme and will spend $4 million a year on welfare for drivers and delivery workers who use the platform.
Japanese author inspired by external environs
Ko Shinjo is behind the novel that inspired Netflix hit Tokyo Swindlers
Gen Z couples say no to hawker centre first dates
In the light of a Bumble survey, The Sunday Times speaks to four couples to find out how dating etiquette has evolved over the years
Let's Talk About Death Who will care for my sister when I die?
Let's Talk About Death is a five-episode docuseries that follows several millennials and their loved ones as they navigate end-of-life planning, and seeks to kick-start honest conversations about death and dying well.
Maeder, kitefoiling get sweet Yeo's bundle deal
An already momentous year for Singapore's kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder got even better on Nov 9, when local food and beverage company Yeo Hiap Seng (Yeo's) extended their sponsorship deal by another four years from 2025 to 2028.
CAVENDISH'S FINAL RACE
Legend confirms that S'pore Criterium is his swansong - and he wants to claim it
Improving Chelsea can beat any team, says Maresca
UP FOR THE FIGHT
