Since the development of advanced medical technologies, hospitals have been offering families the options of keeping the umbilical cord blood of their newly born children. For many of us, this part of birth, along with the placenta, have long been regarded as waste. However, in recent years, cord blood has started to be seen as a great source of stem cells which can greatly benefit your child should they become ill. This latest development has many expectant mothers wondering if they should keep their child’s cord blood.
If you are about to have a child and are wondering if you should participate in umbilical cord banking, consider the following pros and cons before making a decision:
PROS:
Effective Treatment: Cord blood, because of its high concentration of stem cells, is a highly effective treatment of cancers, immunodeficiencies, and blood disorders. Without the benefits of stem cells, these types of diseases are often impossible to treat.
Decreased Likelihood of Rejection: If your child should become ill with leukimia or a tumor, chemotherapy will destroy their bone marrow. Transplanting bone marrow is very tricky, and finding a match is often highly difficult. To avoid the risk of rejection, your child’s banked cord blood can easily be used as a perfect match.
Less Risk of Contraction: because the cord blood is coming directly from a newborn with minimal exposure to the outside world, the likelihood of contracting anything from the blood is incredibly minimal – making it a safe and reliable choice.
CONS:
Expense: Depending on your health insurance policy, storing cord blood can be a little on the expensive side. Because those who store it rarely use it, most insurance companies aren’t ready to comp the cost. Before choosing to bank your cord blood, contact your insurance to see how much of the cost they are willing to cover.
Limited Amount: Cord blood can usually be used to treat any member of your family. However, the amount needed by a child varies greatly by that needed by an adult. So if an adult in your family gets sick, there may not be enough cord blood for them. However, a child should be fine.
Ultimately, choosing to bank your child’s umbilical cord blood is highly beneficial. While the likelihood that your child will become incredibly ill is rare, the possibility is still there. Having the best reserves to give your child the best prognosis possible is always worth the cost that banking may incur.
Disclosure – Consideration was given to review, edit, and post this article.