cord blood is the blood that’s left in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth. it can be rich in stem cells — cells that have the potential to develop into many different body tissues. in an emerging field of research and therapeutics cord blood has been used successfully to treat a number of diseases including cancer diabetes metabolic disorders and rare genetic syndromes. non-profit and government agencies are organizing public banks similar to blood banks for families to donate the cord blood at no cost so that everyone in need can find cord blood that matches. competing with these public banks are private companies trying to convince parents to pay thousands of dollars to bank the cord blood only for themselves. their web sites often contain misinformation half-truths and marketing pressure that’s designed not to help your family’s health but to get the money out of your family’s wallet. what you won’t hear from the private banks: it is very unlikely that your privately banked cord blood will ever be used by anyone. even if your baby ends up needing a cord blood transplant he’ll may well need someone else’s cord blood — not his own. even if by some remarkable chance your baby needs his own cord blood many of the collected samples are not suitable for use. no tests will be done to determine if the cord blood collected is usable until the blood is retrieved. you may have paid thousands up front plus a substantial year fee to store well nothing at all.
should i donate my baby’s cord blood?