Many times as a parent you will have to make an informed choice on your child’s behalf. Choosing umbilical cord blood banking will be one of the first, and you only get one chance at it.
Umbilical cord blood contains red and white blood cells, platelets, and plasma and is an excellent source of stem cells, which have been used successfully in transplants for patients who suffer from many different diseases, including leukemia and immune system disorders. Stem cells have the ability to transform into other cells needed by the body. They are used just like bone marrow cells in transplants, but the extraction is easier, and the rejection rates for stem cells are lower.
According to HSRA.gov, cord blood stem cells have been used for more than 20,000 transplants to date, and scientists are continually discovering new, potentially life-saving, uses for them. Doctors have been experimenting with their effects on such conditions as stroke, diabetes, and cerebral palsy. Cord blood banking has only been around since the 1970s, so the possibilities for stem cell use have not yet been fully explored.
If your family has no history of diseases that might require a transplant and your child never develops such an illness, her cord blood may still be beneficial, either for research or as a donation. These stem cells can be used in transplants for other close family members or anyone with a matching profile. As many as 30 percent of transplant candidates don’t have the procedure simply because a match couldn’t be found.
There are no medical risks to mother or baby in cord blood collection, and the procedure is quick and painless. There is a fee for the collection kit and transport to a storage facility and ongoing costs for storage; check with a few cord blood banks to find a fee structure that works best for you. If you choose to donate your baby’s cord blood, it will cost you nothing and could mean everything to someone else.
If your baby knew he had such a gift to offer, to an unknown child, or a family member, or even to his own future, what do you think he would do with it? Even if no one you know ever needs it, it could still save a life (or many lives), and that is a beautiful choice to make for your child.