In the past several years, some parents have started saving the umbilical cord blood from their childbirths. They don’t do this for some macabre or New Age reason. In fact, they save the cord blood because advances in science make it possible for the stem cells found in the blood to cure their children of ailments in the future. Before you decide whether to save umbilical cord blood, though, you should consider a few facts and weigh your options.
Why do some parents save cord blood? Cord blood contains stem cells called hematopoietic progenitor cells. These cells are used to treat diseases such as sickle cell anemia, leukemia, and lymphoma. Some parents, therefore, choose to harvest the blood and keep it at blood banks, where they can access the HPCs if their children need it.
The umbilical cord blood therefore represents a kind of insurance against illness. If a child, or possibly one of his or her siblings, comes down with a disease like leukemia, then there is a better chance that doctors can treat the condition because they already have useful stem cells.
Is Umbilical Cord Blood Effective at Treating Disease?
Umbilical cord blood is useful for treating some diseases, but not all. Stem cells are very useful because they can “grow” into a variety of different cells. Some cancer patients have even found that cord blood helps them recuperate from chemotherapy treatments.
Then Why Doesn’t Everyone Save Cord Blood?
Cord blood is effective at treating certain diseases, but it really hasn’t saved that many lives. When one considers that only 6,000 have been saved in the U.S. by cord blood transplants (according to the Institute of Medicine), it becomes a little clearer that the substance isn’t the panacea that some parents believe it is.
The other main reason? Cost. Private cord blood banks charge quite a bit for their housing services. Many parents simply can’t afford to pay these high prices. Even those that can see cord blood as a very poor insurance plan. It’s expensive, and it hasn’t saved that many lives.
What are the Chances that Your Child Will Use Cord Blood?
Chances are that your children will never need the cord blood that you save. The actual rates differ from source to source, but even modest accounts say that you have about a one in 2,700 chance of using it (according to the journal Obstetrics and Genealogy). One source says that the odds are more like 1 in 27, but that comes from a cord blood bank advertisement, so it’s hardly an unbiased number.
Should You Save Cord Blood?
The fact of the matter is that parents who actually use the cord blood will say that it was worth every penny. Those who don’t use it will probably wish they had their money back to pay for their child’s education or other expenses. It really depends on the way that you want to spend your money. Those who have family histories of leukemia, lymphoma, and sickle cell anemia will probably want to think more seriously about the chances that they will use it. Ultimately, like all forms of insurance, you can’t predict whether you will need it or not.
