Private cord blood banks tout the potential advantages of saving cord blood banking to expectant parents, but often skip over the disadvantages of doing so. While the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologist support donating cord blood, both organizations discourage saving the cord blood at a private bank.
Unlikely Use
It is unlikely that a baby's cord blood will save that baby from future illnesses, as many parents are lead to believe. This is because even if the child does require a stem-cell transplantation later, her own stem cells are usually not the safest or most effective, explains the March of Dimes. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics states that the chances of a child having a successful transplantation using his own cord blood ranges from one in 1,000 to just one in 200,000.
Costs
Although donating cord blood to a public cord blood bank is usually free, saving cord blood at a private bank may be significantly costly for some families. The exact costs involved with this will vary depending upon individual circumstances, but the American Pregnancy Association estimates that the initial fee typically ranges from $900 to $2,100 and storage fees are approximately $100 a year. Parents may also incur additional fees for the cord blood collection kit, courier services and the initial processing.
Storage
Although some speculate that cord blood should be able to be stored forever, scientists have yet to prove that this is possible. Although doctors have successfully used cord blood that was stored for a decade, ongoing research about this issue was only started in the 1970s, and there is simply not enough data to guarantee how long cord blood can be stored successfully.
Risks
Although the risks of collecting cord blood are very rare, they may occur. The Nemours Foundation states that the baby may have a lower blood volume or anemia soon after birth if a doctor clamps the umbilical too soon to collect the cord blood.
Research and Planning
In order to save a baby's cord blood, advance planning is necessary. While many expectant parents blindly go along with what their doctor recommends, this is not always the best approach because many doctors may have a financial incentive for getting parents to sign up with a particular private blood bank. Selecting the right cord blood bank can be a longer process than most parents realize because it may be difficult to find unbiased information. Expectant parents must also finish the planning process at least four to six weeks before the baby is born, and this timeline might put pressure on some parents.
References
- American Academy of Pediatrics: AAP Encourages Public Cord Blood Banking
- American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: ACOG Revises Opinion on Cord Blood Banking
- March of Dimes: Umbilical Cord Blood
- American Pregnancy Association: Cord Blood Banking
- Nemours Foundation: Kids Health: Banking Your Newborn's Cord Blood
