At my last doctor's appointment, my OB brought up the topic of cord blood banking and sent me home with some literature from Lifeline Cryogenics in Stamford. If we decide on cord blood banking, Lifeline Cryogenics is where my future daughter's cord blood would reside until (God forbid) she or someone in our family needs it to treat anything from leukemia to cerebral palsy. Just typing that gives me goosebumps. Who wants to think of nightmares like that? The doctor and the literature did a great job of convincing me that cord blood banking is the wise thing to do. It's pricey, but not astronomical (approximately $1,500 initially then $100 per year after the initial cost), so I was really considering it.
Then I asked our current pediatrician about it and she claims it's a waste of money and that cord blood is rarely used or necessary. I'm torn.
How about you? Did you choose to bank your child's cord blood? Do you know anyone who has ever used the banked blood? Do you have any experience with Lifeline Cryogenics in Stamford?
I plan to attend the next open house there (see details above) and I'll report back with what I learn, but I think it would be great to get your thoughts too. Is this whole cord blood thing really a lifesaver or just a moneymaking scare tactic?
12 comments:
Sounds like a scam to me
I investigate this a few years ago and really thought it was a scam. More than anything else, the tone of the advertising used by the cord blood storage companies really turned me off. If it was worthwhile, I'm not sure they would sell it so aggressively.
Hi, my name is Natalie and Cord Blood saved my life. I was born with a very rare blood disorder. My younger sister was a perfect match so at her birth my parents decided to collect and save her Cord Blood for my future transplant. It was one of the very first collections of cord blood ever. My transplant was a huge sucess and I am currently living a healthy and very happy life. I believe %100 in the value of cord Blood and have made it my mission in life to raise educational awareness about the importance of cord blood preservation. IT IS NOT A SCAM, it is priceless! There is a lot more to my story to learn more visit my site http://www.nataliecurry.com
You need to research the science and medical application of cord blood , to make educated decision regarding banking.
I suggest www.parentsguidecordblood.org, which is a non-profit website on cord blood stem cells.This website is not affiliated with the cord blood companies. It has exhaustive information on cord blood ,i.e. what the stem cells are being used for and what the future holds.
Any family expecting a child needs to educate themselves on cord blood banking and the options you have. In my opinion the decision regarding cord blood, whatever it is , is one of the most important decisions you need to make before your baby is born.
I'm a huge fan of my OB - and prior to the birth of our first, my husband and I point blank asked her if she banked her own children's blood (after doing our own research)...she mentioned that she's hesitant to outright recommend it to her clients as it's pricey and hard for some to afford - but said she banked both of her daughters' blood...That was enough for us. We banked our daughter's and will banking baby #2's as well.
I think that it is a fad; that you will probably never use it; and that there is no telling if the technology that they use to store it will continue to be valid. That said I can see why families would decide to do it, and why it is a toss up.
We donated both of my children's cord blood which was not easy to do. The paper work was extensive and then having another thing to think about when my babies were born was hard. I do believe it was worth it and I wish hospitals made it easier so that more people would consider donating. I don't think banking it for us is necessary because I come from a large family of a common ethnicity.
hey thanks to everyone for all the helpful comments. it's interesting to hear how some of you think of cord blood banking as a scam, while others insisted on it. i still have some time to think about it but my husband and i are leaning toward banking. i just don't ever want to think "what if?" down the road.
We donated our baby's cord blood to help with stem cell research.
Core blood banking is not called "insurance" just for the sake of it. It has definitely become instrumental in bringing new hope to those who feared that their child or children might get affected from some serious disease. Also helps those who have a different genetic make-up and can fall prey to serious diseases.
Hope
www.princetoncryo.com
to date, doctors have not been able to use a child's own cord blood in treatment because presumably the progenitor cells have the same problem for which a child would need a transplant. if everyone donated cord blood to public banking, then all children would be more likely to have a match if they were to need it.
Post a Comment