What Are the Pros and Cons of Cord Blood Banking?
Researchers and physicians are always studying more about treating various illnesses. Stem cell transplant has become one of the most promising methods of treatment, using 3 types of cells—those from bone marrow, blood and umbilical cord—to give patients new cells that will grow into healthy ones.
While the first two require a separate donor who must be a close match to the individual who is needing treatment, umbilical cord stem cells are stored from birth to be used later on for the same person’s own treatment, or a family member. This means it does not require close matches as blood and bone marrow stem cell transplants do.
However, there will be lots of decisions to be made when it comes …show more content…
Nevertheless, it will always be there if you do need it. Plus, who knows what medical advances the future may bring for this technology?
List of Cons of Cord Blood Banking
1. The procedure is not always cheap.
Of course, it is completely free to donate blood to a public cord blood bank, but when it comes to the private ones, it is another story. They would charge you at least USD 1,000 to more than USD 2,000 of fees for the collection, testing and registration. Aside from these, you would also have to pay for the annual storage fee.
2. Cord stem cells do not guarantee to cure everything.
While there were truly miraculous treatments developed for various diseases, stem cell therapy does not guarantee to cure everything. Remember that your child’s own stem cells will not be much of a use if he/she has a genetic disease, since his/her stem cells contain the same genes. For instance, if your child is born with spina bifida or muscular dystrophy, then his/her stem cells would have that condition. However, if the donor is healthy and he/she has immediate family members who have genetic conditions, his/her cord blood could be a good match for
Researchers and physicians are always studying more about treating various illnesses. Stem cell transplant has become one of the most promising methods of treatment, using 3 types of cells—those from bone marrow, blood and umbilical cord—to give patients new cells that will grow into healthy ones.
While the first two require a separate donor who must be a close match to the individual who is needing treatment, umbilical cord stem cells are stored from birth to be used later on for the same person’s own treatment, or a family member. This means it does not require close matches as blood and bone marrow stem cell transplants do.
However, there will be lots of decisions to be made when it comes …show more content…
Nevertheless, it will always be there if you do need it. Plus, who knows what medical advances the future may bring for this technology?
List of Cons of Cord Blood Banking
1. The procedure is not always cheap.
Of course, it is completely free to donate blood to a public cord blood bank, but when it comes to the private ones, it is another story. They would charge you at least USD 1,000 to more than USD 2,000 of fees for the collection, testing and registration. Aside from these, you would also have to pay for the annual storage fee.
2. Cord stem cells do not guarantee to cure everything.
While there were truly miraculous treatments developed for various diseases, stem cell therapy does not guarantee to cure everything. Remember that your child’s own stem cells will not be much of a use if he/she has a genetic disease, since his/her stem cells contain the same genes. For instance, if your child is born with spina bifida or muscular dystrophy, then his/her stem cells would have that condition. However, if the donor is healthy and he/she has immediate family members who have genetic conditions, his/her cord blood could be a good match for