Cord Will

Cord Will

Pros and Cons of Cord Blood Storage or Cord Blood Banking

This new medical promise of treating diseases through stem cell cord blood banking has drawn the attention of a large mass. However, there are mixed opinions regarding umbilical stem cell cord blood. There are certain issues like ethics, racial groups, family history of genetic disorders, and others that dominate the decision for cord blood storage.

Factors To Be Considered For Cord Blood Donation

Recipient’s compatibility – due to the immaturity of the stem cells present in cord blood, the recipient has a reduced risk of graft vs. host disease, which is a potentially serious immune response.

Convenience – it is easier to regain cord blood than bone marrow. This is because it is stored cryogenically and is readily available for transplant. It is hard to find bone marrow donor and its retrieval process is intricate.

Ethnic or racial groups - Race and ethics come in the way of bone marrow donation. Cord blood banking, in which cord blood is stored during childbirth, comes to the rescue at the time of need.

Free services – for families who are unable to afford the cost of cord blood registry, there are certain private banking companies that have come forward to provide free services.

PROS

The major advantage of saving cord blood is that it is readily available at the time of saving the life of someone. The stem cells are already stored at the cord blood bank, hence, can be readily available in case the need arises for transplant.

There is no pain or other harm involved in cord blood collection to either the mother or baby. It is a very simple process carried out immediately after delivery.

Cord blood cells have the potential to help in the treatment of more than 50 diseases including leukemia, critical sickle cell anemia, aplastic anemia, and others.

Stem cell cord blood has higher probability of becoming the perfect match for family members and relatives and has no risk of rejection by the recipient’s body.

CONS

There are no exact estimates to confirm that an average child without any risk factor will utilize her own saved cord blood.

The commercial cord-blood bank demands about $1,500 for cord blood registry, not mentioning the $100 maintenance fee every year.

Besides this, you may have to shell out a few hundred dollars to obtain the cord blood collection kit, for courier charges, and for initial steps of cord blood banking.

Most of the stem cell transplants are done only on kids or adolescents. Moreover, cord blood stem cells are not sufficient for an adult transplant. A large-sized person needs a larger amount of blood forming stem cells for a successful transplant.

There is no concrete evidence that states that stem cells of a relative provide a greater success rate than those drawn from a stranger. Both the donors have equal success rate because the cord blood stem cells are immature, therefore, it doesn’t matter if there is no perfect match for getting an unbeaten bone marrow transplant.

Doctors have little experience in cord blood stem cell transplantation.

Some medical experts are of the view that an ill child receiving her own cord blood stem cells may become prone to get the same disease again. However, there is no medical evidence proving it true.

Cord blood storage might become a new trend very soon. However, the decision to go for cord blood banking is entirely yours. In addition, you have to decide well in advance of the due date because once you lose the precious blood, you cannot regain it. Anyways, it’s good to have something to fall back upon at times of emergencies, isn’t it?

About the Author

Cord blood banking is mushrooming these days. Know whether your baby’s cord blood is really in a secure position. Can it be used after 20 years, if your little darling or any other member of your family needs it?

My Dog bite the a live cord will he be alright? Even after a Vet visit?

Electric shock in the mouth. He's moving and breeding.
The Vet said that everything will be fine.

My old dog did this a few years ago, I took her straight to the vets, she was fine, they just checked her heart. Silly old thing, she is still with us and is nearly 15.

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