Should We Bank Our Baby's Cord Blood?

• Cord blood is rich in stem cells.     • If needed in the future, your child will not reject his/her own stem cells.     • As opposed to public banks, private banks store blood for your family’s use only.     • Bring the collection kit to the hospital when you go into labor.

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ith a new baby on the way, many expectant parents spend hours planning for their child’s future - from choosing an infant car seat to starting a 529 plan. It’s natural to focus on security and investments for the years to come.

Something else to consider during these nine months is whether or not you want to bank your baby’s cord blood.

WHAT IS CORD BLOOD?
Cord blood is the blood collected from the umbilical cord and placenta immediately after birth.

WHY IS CORD BLOOD DIFFERENT THAN ‘REGULAR’ BLOOD?
Cord blood is rich in stem cells, the nascent cells that still have the capacity to change - or grow - into other types of cells in the body.

You’re probably familiar with the political debate over stem cell research. If not, here’s a quick bullet list of the benefits of stem cells:

• Stem cells aid in the treatment of over 70 different blood disorders, genetic diseases, and cancers (such as leukemia, lymphoma and anemia).

• As the building blocks of the blood and immune system, they can help generate healthy new cells.

• In some medical applications, stem cells can be used instead of bone marrow.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CORD BLOOD BANKING?
Many parents who opt to store their newborn’s cord blood in a private bank feel that they are investing in their child’s future health

No waiting. If the child needs treatment for a specific disease or disorder, he or she could receive it almost immediately; there’s no need to wait for a donor. Usually, finding a bone marrow donor can be difficult, especially with African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, or people of diverse ethnic backgrounds.

No risk of rejection. While it’s possible that a bone marrow transplant could be rejected by the body, your child’s body will not reject his/her own stem cells.

The match doesn't need to be perfect.
Of course, you’ll have a 100% match for the child who banked the blood, but it’s also likely that other members of the family can benefit, since you can have a half-match and still be successful. (Banked cells have a 25% chance of being a perfect match for a sibling.)