Cord Blood Pros and Cons

All parents would do just about anything in their power to try to ensure their child’s health, safety and wellbeing. That’s why so many new and expecting parents are looking into cord blood pros and cons. What are the benefits and advantages of pursuing this, and are there any drawbacks that are worth considering as well, before getting started? Use this good to familiarize yourself with the process, and see both sides of the story before getting involved for yourself.

The whole idea behind cord blood banking and storage is that you get to collect and store your child’s stem cells. These stem cells have immense medical value, and can save your child’s life, stave off a major illness or health problem, and ultimately help to keep them safe and sound. Cord blood stem cells have been used successfully to treat 80 life-threatening diseases, including dozens of forms of cancer, and various other disorders, and more treatments are always being researched and developed.

So, you could potentially be saving your child’s life with these stem cells. In addition, you won’t have to wait and just cross your fingers and hope to be on a donation list or find a match. Since the stem cells are your child’s own, they are waiting there just for you, and you know they are a match and won’t be rejected by his or her own body.

Now you know the general overview about why cord blood is so beneficial. The bottom line is it can save your child’s life, treat a number of life-threatening diseases, and be there for you when you need it the most, providing you with fantastic assurance and peace of mind. However, any legitimate overview of cord blood pros and cons will give you the other side of the story too.

In terms of negatives, the number one thing on everyone’s list is the price. With initial fees, services and so forth, the first year cost can range from $1,000-$5,000, unless you’re making a nonprofit donation. For example, the Cord Blood Registry currently charges $2,915, including $500 of savings already discounted, with their year one CellAdvantage Banking Package.

From there, annual storage fees can be anywhere from $50-$500. Once again using CBR as an example, they charge $250 annually, and offer prepaying storage options for higher discounts. So, it’s a pricey service, and the cost is a major factor standing in the way for some families.

The other con that people mention when talking about cord blood banking is the likelihood of you ever needing to use it. Some estimates say it’s a 1-in-1,000 chance that you’ll need it, while other estimates leave it even much slimmer to that, 10 to 100 times smaller, depending on who you want to listen to.

When discussing cord blood pros and cons, it’s important to get a good look at both sides of the story. The short-term costs can be high, although the long-term value of the service can be priceless. You may never need to use what you’re storing, but the peace of mind, security and assurance it provides do not have a price tag; if you do need them, you can save your child’s life.

There’s a lot to consider, and now that you are aware of some of the cord blood pros and the cons, you should be able to make a sound decision for yourself and your family.

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