Cord Blood Banking

Hi girls,
Who is planning on banking the babies cord use for possible personal future use? I am thinking about it but of course DH doesn't like the fact that it is so expensive.
hugs,
Kristin

 

Hi Kristin,
We are also thinking about it but have not decided yet because of $$. We didn't with our first and always said we would with #2 (now #2 and #3!). Not sure yet...

 

Both of my pediatricians have recommended against it, FWIW. Not because they thought it was bad, but not worth the expense and the industry is unregulated. I know LOTS of people who do it, though - but I have opted not to with #1 and #2 and don't plan to do it with the twins.

 

Mine, too - still a relatively new science that my doctor said would be more likely to be a match for someone else and not my family or kids.

 

We aren't doing it either. We were reading you have a better chance of a match through the donor system than your own family. We do plan on donating it. Also, since it is fairly new, something like 35% of the time is collected/stored incorrectly, so you could be paying for years and find out when you go to use it, it is useless.

 

It seems like most respected scientists who don't have a financial interest in cord blood banking are saying not to do it yet - that the chances of benefitting from it are close to zero. I do think cord blood donation (where you donate to a bank or research) seems like a good idea, but they did not have that avaiable at my hospital when I had my last child.

 

The 'professional' banking places would take twins, but warned us of cross-contamination (twins shared blood supply- esp. if they had different blood types)

My high risk OB also would ONLY collect cord blood if there was time and everything went smoothly- and the babies were full term. I had an emergency C at 32 weeks.

Our Pedi did not recc. it, but said we could if we wanted to.

The Red Cross would not take twin donations at that time due to contamination or we would have donated.

Good Luck- hopefully they have improved the process in the past 4 years!

KC

 

These posts make me feel better for deciding against it too. My OB said also that many of the diseases that COULD be fixed by cord blood are still too cost prohibitive for anything to actually be possible, which I thought was interesting. Imagine how frustrating that would be! I love the idea of donating though, does anyone know if that is a hospital by hospital option or is it doctor by doctor?

 

We were given information on our state cord blood bank and have a tag that we should attach to my hospital bag if we decide to do it. We have already decided that we will. I am a scientist and appreciate the potential that this has in the future. I would like to think it can be beneficial to someone rather than going in the trash!
If you tour labor and delivery I would ask them about it and also your OB. My information came from my OB office.