2 Mommies and a Baby
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Friday, November 10, 2006
cord blood banking
I keep checking in on BB and Sarah. Little Ziggy is going to be here any day now, it’s so exciting!
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I want to pose a question to the readers out there because we have had this discussion on many of our web boards.
How do we feel about cord blood banking?
Is it a legitimate concern or just another company trying to make money out of fear?
Do I find a way to pay $1500 (+ annual storage fee) because I will regret it in the future if our child gets sick?
I was 100% convinced that I was going to donate our child’s cord blood to stem cell research since I lost someone very near and dear to me to Lou Gehrig’s. Then, a friend whose husband is very sick told me that I MUST bank it for our child.
This seems like such a huge decision.
I feel like I will be a horrible mother if I don’t save his cord blood for some potentially vital need down the road.
Has anyone done it? Thought about it?
I want to hear people’s thoughts, whether or not we listen to them.
- - -
I want to pose a question to the readers out there because we have had this discussion on many of our web boards.
How do we feel about cord blood banking?
Is it a legitimate concern or just another company trying to make money out of fear?
Do I find a way to pay $1500 (+ annual storage fee) because I will regret it in the future if our child gets sick?
I was 100% convinced that I was going to donate our child’s cord blood to stem cell research since I lost someone very near and dear to me to Lou Gehrig’s. Then, a friend whose husband is very sick told me that I MUST bank it for our child.
This seems like such a huge decision.
I feel like I will be a horrible mother if I don’t save his cord blood for some potentially vital need down the road.
Has anyone done it? Thought about it?
I want to hear people’s thoughts, whether or not we listen to them.
6 Comments:
Well, as you know, we really thought about this one and posed this question to others on our blog:
http://stacey-angele.blogspot.com/
2006/09/cord-blood-big-debate.html
We have decided not to do it. I found most of the answers in the article and from others. I read that if you do donate it, there is a very high chance that your baby could use it (because of the match) if he did need it. I think it's a money making business and it is one that plays on your emotions because, like you said, will you regret not doing it?
I think whatever you decide, it will be the right decision for you. But don't feel pressured into doing it--no one would think poorly of you if you didn't.
After lots of research, we decided to bank our baby's cord blood with Cord Blood Registry. From what I understand, it's extremely unlikely that you'd have access to your baby's cord blood once it's donated to a public bank (in the U.S...maybe it's different in Canada.) The success rates with stem cell therapy using one's own stem cells is almost twice that of using an unrelated donor's stem cells, no matter how closely matched. (I asked for and received the peer reviewed studies on this point.) I also recently interviewed a leading stem cell researcher (I'm a science writer/editor for a living) and he said he wishes he had banked his daughter's blood (if the technology had been available back then) because he feels there will be many medical applications for therapies in the future, including for diabetes and cardiac disease. I'd be glad to discuss this more via email if you--or anyone else--is interested. We've definitely become advocates of banking after our research. ~Melissa
I already replied to you on PL, so I won't give you the song and dance again.
I was just reading an article about this in... Time? Yes, I think Time. Anyway, according to this article you are VERY likely to get your own blood back if you ever needed it, because regardless of what the companies try to tell you, cord blood transplants ARE very rare. Plus, the thing they never want you to know... if it's genetic, IT CAN'T BE FIXED with cord blood. So all of Charlie's problems, nada.
I think it is overwhelmingly a scare tactic and it's disgusting what they try to con you into.
Save your money and buy your kid a really good car seat and a giant teddy bear.
I've read that if you donate it to a bank, the chances are very good that it will still be there if you ever need it. I think that's the way we're going to go for Skippy. Besides, that way if Skippy doesn't need it, maybe it can help someone else who does. By the time our kids might need it, the technology may all have changed anyway, and they can use something else.
My sister donated her daughter's cord blood and when I asked how/why she came to that decision, her answer impressed me as very smart, generous and zen:
We probably won't need it, but it could do some good for someone else, and if something comes up (with the baby) where we wished we had saved the blood for her, hopefully enough others have donated cord blood to make a difference...
If it's a money thing you could forego some of your baby registry and ask people at your shower and in general to sponsor part of the fee.
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