When a baby is born, the umbilical cord is typically discarded as medical waste. However, in recent years, more and more parents have been choosing to store their baby’s cord blood, which contains valuable stem cells that can be used to treat a variety of diseases. It is important to understand the reasons for and against storing your baby’s cord blood, why people do it, and what you need to know.
What is Cord Blood?
Cord blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta after a baby is born. It contains stem cells, which are special cells that can develop into many different types of cells in the body. These stem cells have the potential to treat a variety of diseases, including blood disorders, immune system disorders, and certain types of cancers.
When people choose to store their baby’s cord blood, they have to pay for it to be stored in a super cold freezer in a special medical facility. Your child’s cord blood cannot be collected and stored by you, and you will have to plan ahead so that it can be collected immediately after birth by medical personnel.
What You Need to Know
Cord blood must be collected immediately after birth, using a special kit provided by a cord blood bank or collection service. It is then stored in ultra-cold freezers, awaiting use. Cord blood can be stored either privately, for personal use by the family, or publicly, for use by anyone who needs it. In most cases, once you have stored your child’s cord blood in a private bank, it cannot be transferred over into a public bank. You will have to choose one option, either donation or a private bank, before birth.
Make sure you fully understand the process of cord blood collection and storage before making a decision and consult with your healthcare provider. If you donate your child’s cord blood, you are giving the receiving party permission to use it. In some cases, it will be used to provide life-saving services and therapies to an ill person. In others, it may be used to facilitate further research into the uses and benefits of stem cell therapies. You won’t be notified when or how your donated blood is used.
Reasons for Storing Cord Blood
Many people have chosen to store their baby’s cord blood in recent years, and in many cases, this is more because of storage banks’ successful advertising than because of an actual scientific benefit. However, for many people, the reasons for storing cord blood are strong. Many government organizations recommend storing cord blood or donating it to public banks, if possible.
Some families choose to save their baby’s cord blood because there is a history of certain diseases in their family. In this case, storing cord blood may provide a potential source of stem cells for future treatments. Cord blood can be used to treat many diseases, most notably cancer, and your child’s cord blood is always a match for themselves.
In addition, some families choose to store cord blood as a form of medical insurance, in case their child or another family member needs a stem cell transplant in the future. While the use of stored cord blood by family members is not always possible, the chances for an acceptable match are higher than with the general population. And while public banks and bone marrow transplants also provide stem cells, there are some advantages to using stem cells from cord blood.
Reasons Against Storing Cord Blood
One of the biggest disadvantages of storing cord blood is the cost. Storage can be expensive, with initial fees for collection and storage as well as ongoing yearly fees. It can cost $1000-2000 in initial collection fees plus another $100-200 a year to store the blood. If the chances of needing stored blood were high, the cost would be justifiable. However, the likelihood of using stored cord blood is low, with most families never needing it.
According to many experts, “just in case” storage of cord blood may not justify the cost. Storage and collection are expensive and the cells are rarely used in most cases. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t recommend the routine collection and storage of cord blood for this reason. They do, however, support donations of cord blood to public banking and research. The number of conditions that can be treated with stem cells is growing due to research, primarily research done with donated cells.
It is also uncertain how long cord blood is viable. While some cord blood has been used after 16-20 years, uses of older blood are controversial. So you can plan on your child’s stored blood being viable throughout their childhood, but the possibility of using it into adulthood is uncertain.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, storing your baby’s cord blood can provide a potential source of stem cells for future treatments, but it comes with both benefits and drawbacks. Understanding the reasons for and against cord blood storage, as well as the process and potential costs involved, can help you make an informed decision for your family. There is no one right answer to whether or not you should store your child’s cord blood, and only you can make that choice.