My doctor gave me some reading materials on cord blood banking,
but I'm still confused. What is it and should I do it? Cord
blood banking is a system of storing blood obtained from your
baby's umbilical cord after she's been delivered. So why would
you want to do this? Exciting research in the use of stem cells
to treat various diseases encourages many doctors and parents to
explore banking or saving cord blood. If your child develops a
serious health condition warranting stem cell treatment (such as
leukemia, sickle cell anemia, or other disorders), having saved
cord blood ensures you'll have a perfect match ready for use.
(However, if the condition is genetic, the stem cells might
contain the very thing that caused your child to become ill.)
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the likelihood
that you will need to use the blood, ranges anywhere from one in
1,000 to one in 200,000. There are currently two methods of
saving, banking, or donating your child's cord blood. The first
way is through a