Umbilical Cord Blood Banking
You will find that there is much controversy around umbilical cord blood banking, but before you form any kind of opinion, you should educate yourself on what it is exactly and why it is done.
Essentially, umbilical cord blood banking is the collection and storage of stem cells found in a newborn’s umbilical cord. This practice is done in part to further research for treatments for several life-threatening diseases, and they are an actual contributable factor in the treatment themselves.
The cord blood preservation procedure itself is painless and easy to accomplish. The samples can be taken after a vaginal or cesarean birth. The physician will simply clamp or cut the cord to then collect the blood. A bag is ready to collect the flow of blood, and it usually takes about 3-5 minutes until it stops.
From there, the bag is sealed and labeled for identification purposes, and sent to whatever facility the family chooses to be processed and stored. The preservation and umbilical cord blood storage process will vary from facility to facility.
Many doctors believe that cord blood stem-cell banking has benefits that can save yours and your child’s life in the years to come. There is no way for a physician to pinpoint any future ailments that may inflict you or your child, but what they do know is that the stem cells in the umbilical blood that were collected upon birth are the building-block cells that can assist in treatments involving bone marrow transplants and such. There will be no waiting for a match, and there is a better chance of recovery using your own stem cells.
The cost of cord blood banking can be very expensive, but most feel it is worth the price. The initial collection and processing fee can run anywhere from $2,000 on up. There will be a fee for the private medical courier that will transfer your newborn’s umbilical cord blood from the hospital to the facility of your choice. Then you will find most facilities will require a yearly storage fee of about $125. If the facility is of a decent reputation, they will offer the same annual fee until you choose to end storage with them. Overall, the total cost for the first year is about $2200. Many facilities will offer you the possibility of a payment plan and have several to choose from.
Umbilical cord blood banking is steadily growing in popularity. The more folks educate themselves and learn the benefits of engaging in such a procedure, the more they realize the endless possibilities for treatments of future diseases.
Researchers around the world are now looking to the stem cells collected in the cord blood for answers in treatments and preventions to diseases like diabetes, cerebral palsy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, spinal cord injuries and heart disease. At this point, the quantity of stem cells taken after birth are only enough to treat one patient and only one time. With the increasing popularity of the process, maybe more folks will jump on the bandwagon.
Banking your newborn’s stem cells may be the best investment you can make in your family’s future health. It should be looked upon as insurance for the safety and well being of your loved ones. Hopefully in the future it will become a standard procedure, but until then, it is up to you to take advantage of the once in a lifetime opportunity as there is a short window of opportunity to collect umbilical cord blood.
Other Relevant Posts:
Brain Injured Child Helped By Cord Blood Stem Cells
Cord Blood May Help Prevent Diabetes
