In the past, Cooley's anemia sufferers needed daily shots of iron chelating agent and a monthly blood transfusion; nowadays the shots have been replaced by oral medication, greatly reducing the disruptions in the patient's life. But though one cord blood transplant can solve this problem forever, the patient still needs to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of his life.
過去海洋性貧血每天都要施打排鐵劑、一個月輸一次血，現在排鐵劑已有口服藥可以代替，對患者的生活干擾降低不少；而臍帶血移植雖說可以一勞永逸，但仍要一輩子吃抗排斥藥。