Cord Blood Stem Cells Information

Cord Blood?

Did you save your baby's cord blood? What is the process and how do you go about it? Any info would be helpful. We are ttc and seeing an RE now so we hope to conceive soon and might save the cord blood. Thanks for any help!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Public Comments

I was interested in but after getting some info from my doctor realized how expensive it is. I don't know the exact amounts but I believe it's over $1,000 to save the cord and then you have to bank it and pay a monthly fee to preserve it which I think was at least $100 a month.
It is quite expensive, and I wouldn't really worrie about it unless there are any severe medical problems in your immediate family
No, we decided there was no real medical reason to do it. It is so expensive and a very low chance that you would ever need it.
We saved it from our last one, mainly because we lost our oldest to leukemia, and had we had stem cells at that time...maybe she would be here today. It is likely she would be. The collection, testing etc. was around $1800, plus it is $100/ year for storage to age 18. Perfectly reasonable price for our piece of mind. That said, unless you have a family history such as ours, I would suggest against spending the money and go another route- find a public cord blood bank, (NOT a blood bank!) and donate the stem cells (cord blood is composed of stem cells). They will go to somebody- possibly a small child- who would otherwise die without a transplant. Public banks are for desperate circumstances- again, had there been a source of stem cells such as a bank at the time, I might still have my little girl today. We are expecting a little boy in July, and I will be donating his cord blood for public use. (The cells we have banked from the one are good for any family member). You may have to ask around. Sadly, there is not an awful lot of knowledge or imfomation available. Even my midwife was not sure where to refer me when I asked about donating, nor was our hospital which is a large, regional hospital. Ultimately I contacted two places of great assisitance- my local office of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and a large children's hospital that does a high volume of childhood cancer treatment and bone marrow/ stem cell transplants. I'd suggest starting there. But certainly think about it, please. If enough people did it, we could put the for-a-fee cord blood storage banks out of business, AND no child would die for lack of a stem cell donor.