Cord blood storage

1. 76

   Guru-Cposted 14 years ago

   In researching an article on cord blood storage for a healthcare magazine, I decided to turn to Hubpages to see what my fellow authors were writing.  I wasn't sure I'd find anything but actually turned up a rich variety of hubs on the subject - which deals with the decision of a pregnant woman to donate or store the blood from her baby's placenta to be used in the treatment of a range of serious illnesses such as leukemia.  I found very interesting hubs, such as Lela Davidson's highly informative overview including whether to donate to a public bank or store privately, Marcofratelli's hub which also explored the ethical questions, Kmofo's more technical explanation, and others.  I had considered writing a hub of my own, but there are six pages of hubpages on the subject!
   
   I encourage anyone who is expecting a baby or knows someone who is to read up on this very important topic, starting here.  How did I find these articles? I typed "cord blood" in the search box and pressed enter.
   
   Thanks and regards!

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2. 59

   Davinagirl3posted 14 years ago

   Cord Blood Storage is a touchy subject.  My obstetrician suggested I just donate my cord blood for use.  It costs, like, $2,300 a month to store cord blood and it does have a life expectancy.  Also, there really is not an endless supply.  By the time your child was 5 or 6 he/she would be too old to be able to benefit from such a small supply of cord blood.  If you are interested in storing your cord blood, I suggest you talk to your ob/gyn, first.  And, make sure you read the small print.  I ended up donating mine and I think I made the right decision... especially since there is no way I could afford to store it.

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   1. 76

      Guru-Cposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Davinagirl3, From the research I'm doing, I agree with you.  The MDs that I've interviewed have explained to me that cord blood storage makes sense if a close relative is suffering from a serious illness.  But one's own cord blood is rarely useful. For example, if a baby is born with an illness, most likely it's going to be a close match from a public cord blood bank that will be used for treatment. And yes, private storage is very expensive.  Everything you are saying supports what I've learned.

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