Saving Your Baby's Cord Blood

Recommendations differ about whether storing your own baby's cord blood will pay off in the future. This is an expensive option that should be well-researched.

Nearly every time I meet with a new client, they ask me about my opinion on umbilical cord blood storage. I have done research through the many years I have been involved in this field, however more is now coming to light about some of the limitations of this very valuable source of stem cells.

Many years ago, the cost for cord blood collection hovered around $500. Now most companies' fees are nearly 3-4 times that amount. Slick marketing campaigns tell parents some of the story but often not all of it. Here are some quotes and statements made by multimillion dollar cord blood companies on their web sites:

• "Storing your baby's cord blood means your baby will have a source of stem cells that is an exact match should there ever be a need for a stem cell transplant."
• "Collecting the cord blood poses no risk to your baby and collections can take place after vaginal or cesarean births."
• One company lists three testimonials on their web site as "proof" of the success of cord blood stem cell transplants. Interesting that 2 out of the 3 were from donations of cord blood stem cells and not from private storage from a relative or family member.

Find out why these statements give you only one side of the story by reading my latest article, Storing Umbilical Cord Blood.

I am not going to "give away" my opinion on this subject - you will have to see for yourself after you check out the above article in it's entirety.

I will say that by nature and from experience, I have become a bit of a skeptic about medical "guarantees" and more wary of companies that promise more than they can deliver, or even those that leave out pertinent information in their attempt to increase their business.

I still get literature, fancy videos, free gadgets and incentives as well as phone calls from cord blood storage companies trying to get me to promote their services. I have always resented pushiness and aggressive marketing tactics whether its buying a car or insurance. My feeling is if you have a great idea or service, the facts should speak for themselves.

So my advice to new parents is like anything else in your pregnancy or birth, ask, ask and ask again before you decide!

Brenda