Umbilical cord blood banking.

Asking mothers to do more.

Expectant mothers are being asked to seriously consider the option of umbilical cord blood banking or donation. Where many parents believe that the prices of private storage are extortionately high this obviously isn't true of public donation, which is free to any mother wishing to donate their child's cord blood. Finding either a public or private bank shouldn't be too difficult and if you live an area that doesn't seem to have the resources you require then simply contact local hospitals, private hospitals and university hospitals and you will almost certainly be able to find an organization that will be very grateful for any donation of cord blood you are willing to make.

Current stem cell transplants.

Stem cell transplants have already been used for decades through bone marrow transplants however it has been difficult to guarantee anywhere close to the amount of donated bone marrow that is required for the patients that are currently on the waiting list. The fact is that very few patients who require a bone marrow transplant actually receive one. The process of donating bone marrow is a difficult process and the operation to extract the marrow is fairly painful with a comparatively long recovery time.

The storage of stem cells at umbilical cord blood banking facilities.

Storing cord blood for approximately 15 years will cost, on average, about $3000 total. This can be reduced slightly if you are willing to pay the storage fees up front. At the present time it is unlikely that the cord blood will remain potent or viable after this period of time but this is one the areas that ongoing research is being conducted on. It is likely that eventually the length of time we can store cord blood will increase massively. AS technology improves, the associated costs should also reduce to a more reasonable level. This is one of the only controversial areas surrounding the extraction and transfusion of cord blood. Many people believe it is unfair that only those who can afford the prices are able to store their child's blood to be used only on their family members.

The likelihood your baby will need their cord blood.

At the moment there is a 1 in 100 chance that a newborn baby will contract any of the 40 plus diseases that are currently treated with stem cell transplants before they reach the age of 50. This may make it seem like more than just a good idea, but remember that cord blood can only be stored for 15 years and this means that the chances a newborn baby will need to use his or her own cord blood within this time is much, much smaller at only approximately 1 in 25,000. However, as stem cell research does continue it is more and more likely that the potency of the blood and the stem cells themselves will be improved and storage methods will be such that cord blood will outlive the babies eventually.

What the future holds.

Also, the list of diseases currently treated by blood stored in umbilical cord blood banking facilities stands at approximately 40 life threatening diseases. There are other courses of action for many of the diseases that use stem cell transplants as a viable source of treatment but chemotherapy and the drugs on offer can have very negative side effects on a person's life. A stem cell transplant has a very good chance of success. Indeed, if a patient uses their own cord blood then the blood will be a perfect match and the body will not reject the blood or vice versa. Using the cord blood of a brother or sister reduces this level but it still means there is a 25% chance that you will match; much greater odds than asking someone in the street for a bit of their bone marrow.

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