Is Cord Blood Banking Right For You?
Saving your baby's umbilical cord blood allows it to be
cryogenically stored, and then available if your child later
becomes sick and needs a bone marrow transplant. Umbilical cord
blood was discarded until the 1970's, when researchers
discovered that umbilical cord blood could save lives under
certain circumstances.How do you decide on cord blood banking?
Many soon-to-be parents ask this very question. Here are some
things to consider when deciding on whether or not to bank your
baby's umbilical cord blood.
This type of transplant would be 'autologous' and is different
than the more common 'allogenic' transplants that might be done
from a sibling or other relative or an unrelated donor. Our own
blood is the best choice for a transplant.
Often times, cord blood banking can save a baby's life. But
still, there are many other factors to consider. Price seems to
be the number one roadblock, with the complete cost being around
$3,000. So, you should certainly not feel guilty if you cannot
bank your child's cord blood. Should you even consider cord
blood banking? That part will be up to you.
However, if you already have a child or family member that has a
condition that can be treated with a stem cell transplant (such
as sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, aplastic anemia, leukemia,
metabolic storage disorders and certain genetic
immunodeficiencies), then you defenitely should consider banking
your child's umbilical cord blood. However, the average baby
without risk factors has a very low chance of ever needing his
or her cord blood.
On the other hand, some doctors and researchers support saving
umbilical cord blood as a source of blood-forming stem cells in
every delivery. This is mainly because of the promise that
stem-cell research holds for the future. The majority of people
would have little use for stem cells now, but research into the
use of stem cells for treatment of disease is ongoing - and the
future looks promising.
You may also want to donate your baby's cord blood. This is
possible through non-profit cord blood banks that use it for
research or to save the life of another child.
Overall, cord blood banking looks to have a promising future.
It's defenitely an option you should look into. After you've
studied the facts and your family history, you should be able to
make a much more informed decision on what's right for you.