Cord blood banking offers many benefits to those that end up needing the blood. Today, it is quite common from pregnant mothers to receive information about cord blood banking when they are pregnant. There are two ways in which you can store your child’s blood. Public banks store it but do not allow it to be labeled meaning that once it is donated, you can not access it specifically for your child or your needs. Rather it is available to anyone that may need it. The other option is privately banking cord blood. If you choose to go this route, your baby’s blood is banked, for a long time and only you can access it to be used for your child or for your family as it is needed.
Of course it seems like banking the blood privately would have the most benefit to you. But, before you use this as your method of banking the blood, you should know how rare it can be that a child actually needs to use that blood. During some research, the Journal of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology determined that the odds are that your child will need those stem cells at one and 2700. Your family’s odds are one in 1400 that you will need to use the blood.
There are also some other concerns about private organizations for cord blood banking. For example, it becomes virtually worthless when it comes to helping a child or a person that has an immunological disorder. These are often genetic and therefore your stem cells would also carry the disorder. In addition, the cost of banking the blood in this manner can be quite high. This makes it not a possibility for many young couples. In some cases, researchers have said that it is wiser to just put away funds for times where there may be medical help needed. In addition, some private organizations are criticized for preying on the worries for new parents to get them to donate the baby’s blood.
The bottom line is that it is completely your decision to decide if and when you will bank your baby’s blood. If you do select a private cord bank, it is important to check them out completely to insure that they are legitimate and offer the best possible service. It is wise to take into consider banking your child’s blood nonetheless. It is capable of fighting and repair damage from over 75 diseases and conditions including some cancers.