Saving Cord Blood: Advantages and Disadvantages

2007-03-08 10:33:40

( Pharmeceutical-Medical )



Saving cord blood requires a lot of planning and in-depth discussions with your counselor. You should evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of saving your child’s cord blood. The process is short and relatively painless. Before making a decision, make sure you do your research. You can check articles over the internet or even visit a counselor to be aware of your options.

Saving cord blood means you take the blood present in the placenta and umbilical cord at the time of birth. Cord blood contains stem cells that can create platelets and both red and white blood cells. Cord blood has the capability to cure a lot of life-threatening diseases similar to bone marrow. However, the risks are lower compared to a bone marrow transplant.

One advantage to saving cord blood is that the procedure is fast and painless. It can be readily available to a wide range of patients compared to bone marrow donations. The odds are higher in bone marrow donations compared to cord blood because there is a lower risk that the patient’s body will reject the cord blood.

Before making a decision, you should also understand that if you decide to keep the cord blood for your private use, there is a slim chance that you would need it. You would need to pay the costs of getting the cord blood and you would also pay a monthly fee to a private cord blood bank for storage fees. If you decide to donate it to a public blood bank, you would not shoulder any of the costs. However, there are still no standard regulations for cord blood collection and storage. Therefore, one blood bank may store it differently from another.

If you intend to keep the cord blood for your private use, you can contact the cord blood banks nearest to your area and inquire about the fees associated with private storage of your child's cord blood.


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