The primary benefit to cord blood banking is that it provides a type of medical insurance. This insurance is not from a financial prospective, but rather takes the form of having the necessary medical building blocks available should they be needed in the event of certain illnesses and diseases. Those medical building blocks are the stem cells found in umbilical cord blood.

In the past 5 or 6 years, there have been dramatic medical advances in the arena of stem cell research, and more discoveries are announced practically every month. Many doctors and researchers see great potential in the use of stem cells to reverse or cure many severe, life-threatening diseases. With these facts in mind, many parents are choosing to preserve the stems cells found in umbilical cord blood after birth. There are no health risks in doing so. The primary risk is that the yearly $100 fee for storage will be wasted in the event that the stem cells are never needed.

More and more parents are taking notice of the advances in stem cell research. Here are some highlights:

Transplant science is constantly improving. Several companies are bringing to market methods of