As you know, I am expecting my first child. This can be so overwhelming and I know that other first time moms probably feel the same. I have so many questions and would love to hear the opinions of moms who have already been through this a time or two before.Because of this, I am hosting a weekly series to try and get some answers to some of the most common questions.
Here are the topics we still have for future weeks:
So without further ado, let's get on with Week 16: Cord Blood Banking vs. Not Cord Blood Banking! Since I do not have any children of my own yet, I will be featuring a blogger each week and their expert advice on the topic at hand (:
Cord Blood Banking vs. Not Cord Blood Banking:
When you are expecting a new baby so much planning kicks into action. I noticed that there were three main questions that came up in conversation and each one of these tend to have mom's drawing lines in the sand and fighting for what they believe is the best. One
of these questions asked is are you going to bank the cord blood? Before you can make a decision you need to understand the facts and make sure that it matches what you feel is best for YOU. Once you make your choice knowing the facts will allow you to reassure yourself you made the right decision.
Types of banking Public vs Family:Family banking is when the blood is collected and store to be used by the donor (child) or immediate family member. This of course will be at the family cost. Public banking is where you donate your blood to be stored and it is then registered on a transplant list. They do also use some of this cord blood for medical research (if not enough stem cells are collected or the quality is to low) which if you are against using embryos for medical research this encourages medical advancement without ending the life of an embryo. If you donate the cord blood it is at no cost to you. You should of course discuss this with the delivering doctor ahead of time so a collection kit can be ready at your time of delivery as well as the delivery team will be prepared.
Cost to store:There is an upfront cost which is not covered by most insurance. It now ranges around $2500. Of course you can always find a "low cost" bank but you want to make sure it is a reputable bank that will not go out of business. There is also a annual "maintenance" fee which varies from bank to bank but the normal fee tends to be between $150 -$250. Keep in mind once you store privately, at the present time, you can not then donate it later if not used.
Is banking blood an insurance policy if my child gets sick?:
No, it's not. Please keep in mind that while a doctor can use cord blood if you child, or close family member, gets sick there are times when you may have to rely on donated cord blood. Why you ask? Because for some diseases, cancer or genetic, the disease may already be present in the patient's own blood and the doctor may need to find another family member as a match or rely on the donated blood bank. Since cord blood is so adaptable it can be used on patients where a match is a smaller percent. This is something you need to keep in mind.
If you pick to bank the cord blood:*Make sure you can transfer that blood to another bank. If the bank you are using would go out of business you would want to make sure you can move it to another bank. Also, are there fees that would go along with that move?
*Are there charges to release the blood if my child or a family member would ever need it?
* Do they provide courier service? I know that might sound crazy but you want to make sure that the blood gets to the bank quickly and if you ever need it that it gets to you quickly and is in usable condition.
* Ask them about their clinical experience. If they have been around for a while and still have lots of blood that have not been use it could mean that treating physicians have rejected their cord blood.
If you chose to donate:* Contact a public bank which either accepts donations at the hospital where you will deliver or will accept it through a carrier. This will still be at no cost to you. Most hospitals and doctors have banks that they can recommend to you.
* Register before your third trimester. You will need to pass a health screening just like if you donate blood at a blood drive.
For me I am happy with our decision to donate cord blood. I feel like we were able to give someone else a chance with something that otherwise would have just been disposed of. We continue to pay for the cord blood we have family banked and pray we will never have to use it. If I had it to do all over again would I have family banked our first child...that's a question I still am not sure I can answer. I am very thankful that we have never had to use it.
Most importantly talk to your doctor. Do your research and make sure you feel comfortable with your decision. Here are some great places to start.
Parent's Guide to Cord Blood. Great place to read about both sides. You can also get a list of donation sites as well as Family banking sites.
http://parentsguidecordblood.org/
Be The Match. A organization that is working towards getting the word out about the ability to donate cord blood and bone marrow.
http://marrow.org/Get_Involved/Donate_Cord_Blood/Donate_Cord_Blood.aspx
A in-depth article written on Baby Center about Cord blood banking.
http://www.babycenter.com/cord-blood
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