Cord Blood Banking Hooplah: It's the Rage...or is it??

I never heard of cord blood banking until I got pregnant, and then I got hit up, down, and sideways with advertisements galore persuading women to bank their baby's cord blood at every baby website or pregnancy magazine.

Unless you come across a detailed article explaining what this is all about, the info that we're presented with is vague and very brief. Until I did some of my own research, I figured it was just a government hoax to weasel thousands of dollars from parents and gain access to our children's DNA. Now that I've done some research, I honestly feel pretty much the same way about it.

Does anyone know of someone personally who has benefited from banking their kid's blood?

No. In fact, I don't know anyone who has banked their baby's cord blood. It's expensive.

yeah i think it's probably really expensive too. i've thought about it but most likely i won't be doing it

I don't think it's anything other than a good way to have some security just in case. just like Life insurance. However, It is really pricey so, it's not for every.

My hospital asked if we wanted to donate it for a child in need of a donor. we jumped at the chance. it would have been wasted otherwise. My dr collected it as normal and it was sent to a bank for screening. I had to give the rep at the hospital a full family medical history and she said if anything were found in the genetic screening we'd be notified. otherwise, we'd know nothing is wrong w/piper and it would be used only for treatmeant of a sick child. It's so nice to know bringing piper into he world may have saved someone else's sweet baby  

Quoting Monkyn&Coco'sMama (HippyB:“ I don't think it's anything other than a good way to have some security just in case. just like Life ... [snip!] ... for treatmeant of a sick child. It's so nice to know bringing piper into he world may have saved someone else's sweet baby  ”

Although it's good that you're happy with your decision, the cord blood would not have been wasted otherwise, unless the doctor clamped the cord early. It's been proven that your baby has a much smaller risk of anemia, hemmorage, and other infant complications if you allow the blood to drain completely into your baby before cutting it.

i'm having my baby's cord blood banked... yes it was expensive but to our family it's completely priceless.. my hubby's father died a few years back of ALS, and then his 22 year old brother passed away of ALS this april.. it is a genetic disease and there is a possibility that cord blood could help in the treatment of this disease at some point in the future.. so for us the $2000 was a small price to pay for the hope that it could some day save my hubby's or my child's life..

Quoting Sloan:“ Although it's good that you're happy with your decision, the cord blood would not have been wasted otherwise, ... [snip!] ... anemia, hemmorage, and other infant complications if you allow the blood to drain completely into your baby before cutting it.”

this is very verytrue. I did not cut or clamp elliot's until it stopped pulsating but, We were not given the chance for that to happen because, Piper's cord was so tightly around her neck that she was blue and took several minutes to pink up and cry. So, it would have been wasted in our case had we not donated it.

I want to donate the stem cells from the cord blood to research... anyone heard of that being possible? If I can't do that then I'll give it to a sick child. But my little sister is a type-1 diabetic and stem cell research is crucial to her health so it would mean more if it went to that...

Quoting DarkStar:“ I want to donate the stem cells from the cord blood to research... anyone heard of that being possible? ... [snip!] ... little sister is a type-1 diabetic and stem cell research is crucial to her health so it would mean more if it went to that...”

I only know of them giving it to a sick child. You may want to call your hospital and find out #1 if they even offer it. It's really new and I know not every hospital in town is offereing it. IF they do, ask if you can donate them to reasearch.

Quoting Piper Crankypants:“ I only know of them giving it to a sick child. You may want to call your hospital and find out #1 if ... [snip!] ... it. It's really new and I know not every hospital in town is offereing it. IF they do, ask if you can donate them to reasearch.”

You can do that where I live... they first test the cord blood and if it is "good enough" it will be stored to help a sick person.. if its not it gets donated for stem cell research. We are donating my babies cord blood..

Quoting SassMasterLiz:“ You can do that where I live... they first test the cord blood and if it is "good enough" it will ... [snip!] ... be stored to help a sick person.. if its not it gets donated for stem cell research. We are donating my babies cord blood..”

i don't remember them saying anything about it getting used for research if it didn't pass the screening test. I hope they'd do that.

They just said if there was anything genetically wrong w/it, they'd call us so we could have piper start what ever treatment was needed ASAP and that if we didn't hear from them, it meant she was healthy. It's been almost 5 months and we haven't heard any thing  

Quoting Piper Crankypants:“ i don't remember them saying anything about it getting used for research if it didn't pass the screening ... [snip!] ... and that if we didn't hear from them, it meant she was healthy. It's been almost 5 months and we haven't heard any thing  ”

I'm sure no news is good news in that situation then... I'm sure they would have called if anything was wrong  

Quoting SassMasterLiz:“ I'm sure no news is good news in that situation then... I'm sure they would have called if anything was wrong  ”

thats exactly what they said  

im goin to donate mine cuz if u put it on a public list then people out there with certain cancers that match ur blood can use those nutrients and it helps cure their cancer...so i think that it is an amazing thing to do...