Cord Blood Banking Pros and Cons

Umbilical cord blood storage is a relatively new intervention in medical science, which promises to protect a baby from life-threatening illnesses in future. Though it has been purported to be an ultimate source for transplant therapy in childhood cancer patients, a lot of queries about cord blood storage linger in the mind of expecting parents. This article will help you understand about umbilical cord blood banking pros and cons, and whether it is worth storing umbilical cord blood or not.

What is Umbilical Cord Blood Banking?

The umbilical cord blood is nearly similar to the regular blood that is continuously circulated in our body. In short, it has all the three components that blood has, viz. Red Blood Cells (RBCs), White Blood Cells (WBCs) and plasma (blood medium). What is so unique about the cord blood is the presence of stem cells that have the ability to develop into other types of cells. In the procedure for cord blood banking, blood from the umbilical cord is collected immediately after childbirth. It is then processed to remove unwanted particles, and stored under cryogenic condition.

Umbilical Cord Blood Banking: Pros and Cons

Both public blood bank or private blood bank are available, which provide facility for preserving cord blood. For storing in public centers, the mother needs to go through a general health examination, and pass the criteria set by the organization. Those maintained in public centers are normally used for stem cell researches, while some parents opt for storing cord blood in a private blood bank by paying the necessary charges. Before making a prompt decision for this, make a point to learn the pros and cons of cord blood banking. Refer to the following information for understanding umbilical cord blood banking pros and cons in detail.

Cord Blood Banking Pros
With cord blood banking, the stored blood can be used as a source for extracting stem cells, when the child, his/her sibling, or any immediate family member is diagnosed with severe disease that can be treated by transplant therapy. If parents can afford, cord blood banking privately is no less than a lifelong insurance for newborns, who have a familial history of genetic disorders, blood cancer, thalassemia and alike illnesses. Using one's own cells reduces the risks for graft-versus-host medical complications.

So, is cord blood banking worth the cost? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) supports the procedure of umbilical cord blood banking for families, who can afford it. Not only for the child for whom cord blood is stored, the stem cells can be used for compatible siblings and relatives as well. It is estimated that every child has one in 1,000 to one in 200,000 chances of using umbilical cord blood in his/her later life. Thus, storing cord blood is a wise step towards ensuring a safe future for the baby.

Cord Blood Banking Cons
Speaking more about cord blood banking pros and cons, let's discuss the negative factors associated with it. The high price is a major concern for parents. A trustful private blood bank may charge approximately USD 2,000-2,200 for the enrollment process. In addition to this collection fee, cord blood banking cost includes a yearly fee for maintenance, which comes to about USD 100. Thus, umbilical cord blood storage may not be affordable for every parent, even if it sounds logical for insuring their child.

Another con side of cord blood banking is need for proper planning. It does happen in families that the decision for banking cord blood becomes too late to take into action. Ideally, one should contact a private cord blood bank, when the pregnancy term is 34 weeks. This is because, the collected cord blood requires individual kit and special arrangements for storage. Besides this, the collected cord blood is a limited sample (about 3-5 ounces only). Hence, it may not be sufficient for use in stem cell transplants for adults.

This was all about the pros and cons of cord blood banking. Considering the high cost of cord blood banking in private centers, proceeding for the same is a hard decision to make. On the brighter side, chances of getting matching donors are high, as there are several public banks with facilities for cord blood storage. As you have a brief idea about umbilical cord blood banking pros and cons, analyze them carefully and make a decision that you will not regret in future.