blood banks store
Cord Blood: What are the ‘cons’ of Cord Blood?
I am researching this topic & have not found much information about the cons of the use or storing/ donating cord blood. Are there any other controversies other than the Cord Blood bank & people who are selling it?
There really is not anything morally against it.
Really, the only con to storing is it is very expensive to privatly bank. In fact, i recommend most people donate to the public bank which is free to you. IF you have a family history of leukemia, lymphoma, myleoma or other blood diseases like sickle cell anemia, or you know someone that is getting ready to go through a bone marrow transplant, AND you have the money, it could be a good idea for you.
Currently, cord blood is really only used in stem cell transplants (medically accurate term for a bone marrow transplant). It has good uses, and can treat a ton of different diseases. However, one unit is only enough to transplant a small child currently. So even if you did privatly bank, but the child was older or larger than a small child, or it was for an adult, they would still be going to the public bank for a second matching unit. One birth, one unit.
Now, they are working on other things with cord blood, and ways to expand the number of cells in one unit, so in the future, it is fully possible that a lot more can be done.
The con to donating to the public bank is it can be a hassle. It is free for you, but not all hospitals are set up to take the donation, you have to make the arrangments ahead of time, and just like donating marrow or peripheral blood stem cells, there is a list of health issues that will prevent you from donating.
La Banque clinico-recherche de sang de cordon du CUSM / MUHC Clinical Research Cord Blood Bank