Cord Blood Banking Pros and Cons
What Is Cord Blood Banking?
Cord Blood Banking is a facility that is able to store umbilical cord blood for future usage. It can be either public or private cord blood banks.
It works by collecting the blood that is left in the infant’s placenta and umbilical cord and stores it for medical use in the future.
Affordable Cord Blood Banking
Medically speaking, the cord blood has stem cells which can be medically and scientifically used and are considered to be lifesaving. The blood stem cells are known to be the building blocks of immune system and blood.
Stem cells are considered to be lifesaving especially in the field of science for it aids in the repair of organs, blood vessels and tissues as well as treatment of different diseases.
What are The Pros and Cons?
Basically, cord blood banking is not dangerous or painful at all. The blood is being collected after the infant is out of the woman’s body and upon the clamping and cutting of the umbilical cord.
It usually takes at most five minutes. Once you decide to undergo such procedure, you must take note of its pros and cons which are as follows:
Pros
As stated, it is a good thing medically because it is a good source for stem cells which could help save the life of a relative, immediate family, the infant and many others.
According to experts it has a much higher success rate compared to using the stem cells from the bone marrow.
It is successful also in treating disease conditions like severe sickle cell anemia, lymphoma, leukemia, aplastic anemia, severe combined immune deficiency and many others that made use of bone marrow transplants.
Another good thing about is that it is a non-painful procedure. The blood is taken from the umbilical cord after it is cut and clamped.
Cons
A disadvantage is that this kind of procedure is expensive and not all people are able to afford it no matter how beneficial it may seem to be.
Generally, it can cost up to $2500 and you have to pay for the annual storage charge depending on the bank or facility. Aside from that, you need to pay fees for courier service, initial processing and cord blood collection kit.
Another negative aspect of is that it has limited usage. Not all people can benefit from it. According to medical experts, cord blood stem cells can be used in the treatment of young adults and children.
It is not enough to treat adults. For adults, transplant is needed. The cord blood stem cells are not able to fully complete the transplant for adults.
There is also some risk to it especially when you clamp the umbilical cord too soon after the birth of the infant, which could possibly lead to anemia and lower blood volume of the infant after his or her birth. This is an unhealthy risk for the infant.
Lastly, having cord blood banking may not even be needed. It may not be usable or needed because many of the medical diseases treated with stem cells are rarely experienced by most individuals.
These are the pros and cons of cord blood banking. You need to weigh it carefully prior to giving birth and undergoing the process.
