This new medical promise of treating diseases through stem cell cord blood banking has drawn the attention of a large mass. However, there are mixed opinions regarding umbilical stem cell blood. There are certain issues like ethics, racial groups, family history of genetic disorders, and others that dominate the decision for storage.

Factors To Be Considered For Cord blood Donation

Recipients compatibility : due to the immaturity of the stem cells present in the cord blood, the recipient has a reduced risk of graft vs. host disease, which is a potentially serious immune response.

Convenience : it is easier to regain blood from the umbilical cord than bone marrow. This is because it is stored cryogenically and is readily available for transplant. It is hard to find bone marrow donor and its retrieval process is intricate.

Ethnic or racial groups : Race and ethics come in the way of bone marrow donation. Cord blood banking, in which blood of the umbilical cord is stored during childbirth, comes to the rescue at the time of need.

Free services: for families who are unable to afford the cost of the registry, there are certain private banking companies that have come forward to provide free services.

PROS

The major advantage of saving it is that it is readily available at the time of saving the life of someone. The stem cells are already stored at the cord blood bank, hence, can be readily available in case the need arises for transplant.

There is no pain or other harm involved in collection to either the mother or baby. It is a very simple process carried out immediately after delivery.

Cord blood cells have the potential to help in the treatment of more than 50 diseases including leukemia, critical sickle cell anemia, aplastic anemia, and others.

Stem cell from the umbilical cord has higher probability of becoming the perfect match for family members and relatives and has no risk of rejection by the recipients body.

CONS

There are no exact estimates to confirm that an average child without any risk factor will utilize her own saved cord blood.

Such commercial banks demand about $1,500 for banking, not mentioning the $100 maintenance fee every year.

Besides this, you may have to shell out a few hundred dollars to obtain the cord blood collection kit, for courier charges, and for initial steps of banking.

Most of the stem cell transplants are done only on kids or adolescents. Moreover, these stem cells are not sufficient for an adult transplant. A large-sized person needs a larger amount of blood forming stem cells for a successful transplant.

There is no concrete evidence that states that stem cells of a relative provide a greater success rate than those drawn from a stranger. Both the donors have equal success rate because the cord blood stem cells are immature, therefore, it doesnt matter if there is no perfect match for getting an unbeaten bone marrow transplant.

Doctors have little experience in cord blood stem cell transplantation.

Some medical experts are of the view that an ill child receiving her own stem cells may become prone to get the same disease again. However, there is no medical evidence proving it true.

Cord blood storage might become a new trend very soon. However, the decision to go for banking is entirely yours. In addition, you have to decide well in advance of the due date because once you lose the precious blood, you cannot regain it. Anyways, its good to have something to fall back upon at times of emergencies, isnt it.