To Bank or Not to Bank: Cord Blood Stem Cells
by Frank Vanderlugt
For parents, one of the decisions that you'll face at the birth of your child is whether to store cord blood stem cells in case your child or another family member needs it later in life. The decision to bank blood from the umbilical cord and placenta depends on a number of factors and although many in the medical community support the practice, the idea of private banking remains an issue.
For many people, using cord blood to retrieve stem cells offers an alternative if they are against using embryonic stem cells. The controversy over embryonic stem cells has ranged from churches to social gatherings to the government. While stem cells have the potential to cure or treat many diseases, some people feel that using embryos stops human life.
The stem cells from cord blood have the advantage, like embryonic stem cells, of being more adaptable than adult stem cells. Scientists think that stem cells could be used in the future to cure diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and spinal cord injuries among other conditions. Cord blood is currently used in transplants where it offers more flexibility than bone marrow.
How likely is it that your child will need the cord blood stem cells? Estimates on this range from as few as 1 in 20,000 to 1 in less than a thousand. Some scientists argue that the need rises as the person ages and that around 20 percent of all individuals require transplanting their own stem cells and around 40 percent for requiring any transplant, like from a sibling.
Parents have the option of donating the cord blood to a public bank or a private one. Cost can be a factor here as it can cost several thousand dollars to harvest the blood for a private bank and then over one hundred dollars a year to store the blood. Donation can also be limited if parents are not in an area with a public bank nearby.
Some of the advantages to storing cord blood include that it poses no risk to either the child or the mother and the cord blood can be stored for a number of years. The blood is also ready for when it is needed, as opposed to searching for donors which can take months to find a match. Some families may have genetic dispositions to childhood cancers and other sicknesses where the cord blood could be used as part of the treatment. In addition, children with a mixed racial heritage can have trouble finding suitable matches for transplant.
However, limitations to the use of cord blood also exist and it's important to know these before deciding whether to bank the blood. So far, the life of cord blood is only around fifteen years so it would not be able to be used to treat diseases during adulthood. The number of diseases which require stem cell transplants is also very rare and most children will not require it.
Deciding to bank cord blood stem cells is an individual decision that parents must make depending on their situation and the availability of public and private cord blood banks. If you are considering storing cord blood, talk to your doctor about the benefits and limitations of this procedure so that your decision will be as informed as possible.
About the Author
frank j vanderlugt owns and operates http://www.stem-cells-2007.com Stem Cells