Banking Your Baby's Umbilical Cord Blood

Filed in archive Childbirth on September 24, 2008

© Brandt Kurowski

During my second pregnancy, I had the chance to chat with other pregnant friends about cord blood banking. Most of us were ambivalent about it, knowing the value of cord blood in providing stem cells that could possibly be used in treating illnesses years down the line, not just of our babies' but possibly that of others in the family. Afterall, stem cells are currently being used to treat damaged heart muscle, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Leukemia, Parkinson's, partial spinal cord injuries, cancer and lower limb ischemia.

Of course, the other side of the coin to be considered is whether the fees are worth it. The price for freezing cord blood for decades is not insignificant, and possibly one of the biggest factors why people, especially those who are not considered to be high-risk for certain chronic illnesses, opt out. One other angle to consider is the value of cord blood, given that scientists are also now using stem cells from non-embryonic organs, such as the bone marrow.

How about you? Have you decided to save your baby's cord blood?