Cord blood banking

dimples128 · March 2013

I've been reading up on cord blood banking after a friend mentioned to me she wished she had done it for her boys. One of her son's was dx with type 1 diabetes a couple of years ago (he was 6 at the time). The are currently doing clinical trials with cb for diabetes research. We haven't decided what we are going to do and thought I'd ask you you ladies. Have you done it with previous kids? FTMs, are you thinking about doing it with your first?

jkuns7ty · March 2013

Our doctor felt it was more important to let the baby get all the cord blood at delivery, and advised us to do delayed cord clamping instead. We decided to take her advice. You should look up the benefits of each and decide which is right for you.

dimples128 · March 2013

I've started reading about both. I know my OB is pro-banking but we want to understand all the options before deciding.

jkuns7ty · March 2013

If you want more info on delayed cord clamping, it is what the World Health Organization recommends and here is their literature explaining why. For us, this was an easy decision once we knew the reasons to delay clamping.

https://amro.who.int/English/AD/FCH/CA/Delivery_care_practices.pdf

AngelMommy11211 · March 2013

We saved it last time and used it for his brother who had cancer. We already knew he would need it though. Otherwise I'm not going to save it again, they can get the stem cells from the bone marrow after 6 months old, so it's not worth keeping it. Stem cells from the marrow are stronger anyway. We spent a year at the research hospital and they said they wouldn't save it unless its already needed at birth for someone. Otherwise it's not really worth the high cost.

Publius · March 2013

I'm looking into donation but haven't really given it a ton of thought at this point.

kdv77 · March 2013

We didn't bank it and opted for delayed cord cutting. It was just too expensive for us regardless.

dimples128 · March 2013

jkuns7ty:
If you want more info on delayed cord clamping, it is what the World Health Organization recommends and here is their literature explaining why. For us, this was an easy decision once we knew the reasons to delay clamping.
https://amro.who.int/English/AD/FCH/CA/Delivery_care_practices.pdf

Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

1026pumpkin · March 2013

The AAP advises against private banking. It's very expensive and there are no known uses for the child that donated it to use it themselves. It has about a 25 percent chance of being helpful if a sibling has a known condition that could benefit from it.

AAP supports public banking, and as PPs noted there are advantages to delayed cord clamping, though I believe it can also contribute to jaundice and result in NICU or prolonged hospitalization time.

VitaLuna · March 2013

We are doing delayed cord clamping. If we weren't, we may consider donating it. We would not bank for ourselves (high cost, unlikely use).

A37licia · March 2013

jkuns7ty:
Our doctor felt it was more important to let the baby get all the cord blood at delivery, and advised us to do delayed cord clamping instead. We decided to take her advice. You should look up the benefits of each and decide which is right for you.

This was our feeling as well.

AshleyPT · March 2013

I have a patient who banked her daughter's cord blood. Then it actually turned out that her daughter has a very rare genetic disorder. They were so excited to have the cord blood, but then the first study they did had rights to access all of it. That study didn't come up with much, and now they have no cord blood. She felt it wasn't worth it.

AshleyPT · March 2013

1026pumpkin:
h I believe it can also contribute to jaundice and result in NICU or prolonged hospitalization time.

Hmm I've never heard this before. I'm surprised about the jaundice, in my brain it seems like delayed clamping would do the opposite.

VitaLuna · March 2013

AshleyPT:
1026pumpkin:

h I believe it can also contribute to jaundice and result in NICU or prolonged hospitalization time.

Hmm I've never heard this before. I'm surprised about the jaundice, in my brain it seems like delayed clamping would do the opposite.

Jaundice is a very frequently brought up concern because bilirubin (the culprit in jaundice) is caused by the breakdown of hemoglobin.. so therefore more blood = more hemoglobin = more bilirubin. That's how it works in my brain, at least Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

My CNM said the benefits of the extra blood outweigh the increased risk of jaundice, so that's what I'm going with.

maiganlynn · March 2013

I really appreciate this post. We've had family members ask us about this because a lot of people I know are now under the assumption that if you don't bank the cord blood, you're taking away vital opportunities down the road for your child. Until looking into this I didn't realize that the opportunities most likely AREN'T for the child who's cord blood is banked but for other family members. I think there's starting to be this big stigma that if you don't opt to bank the cord blood that you're a bad parent/person. There's a lack of general information. It's available, it's just not mentioned in an informative way to the general public leaving tons of room for stigma's and assumptions.
I think we're opting to prolong the cord clamping as well. It just seems like the better option for us. I mean, that could very well change but as it is right now, with the information we have, it seems to be the option best suited for us and the kiddo.

1026pumpkin · March 2013

VitaLuna:
AshleyPT:
1026pumpkin:

h I believe it can also contribute to jaundice and result in NICU or prolonged hospitalization time.

Hmm I've never heard this before. I'm surprised about the jaundice, in my brain it seems like delayed clamping would do the opposite.

Jaundice is a very frequently brought up concern because bilirubin (the culprit in jaundice) is caused by the breakdown of hemoglobin.. so therefore more blood = more hemoglobin = more bilirubin. That's how it works in my brain, at least Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

My CNM said the benefits of the extra blood outweigh the increased risk of jaundice, so that's what I'm going with.

Yes, that's my understanding as well. On the flip side, delaying cord clamping has been found to increase ferritin concentration and delay iron deficiency, but neither was a significant amount to affect health, and I believe that ferritin concentration doesn't affect anemia. I think the benefits of delayed cord clamping in term babies with adequate nutrition is marginal, as are the risks of jaundice, so not a huge case to be made either way.

AshleyPT · March 2013

1026pumpkin:
VitaLuna:
AshleyPT:
1026pumpkin:

h I believe it can also contribute to jaundice and result in NICU or prolonged hospitalization time.

Hmm I've never heard this before. I'm surprised about the jaundice, in my brain it seems like delayed clamping would do the opposite.

Jaundice is a very frequently brought up concern because bilirubin (the culprit in jaundice) is caused by the breakdown of hemoglobin.. so therefore more blood = more hemoglobin = more bilirubin. That's how it works in my brain, at least Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

My CNM said the benefits of the extra blood outweigh the increased risk of jaundice, so that's what I'm going with.
Yes, that's my understanding as well. On the flip side, delaying cord clamping has been found to increase ferritin concentration and delay iron deficiency, but neither was a significant amount to affect health, and I believe that ferritin concentration doesn't affect anemia. I think the benefits of delayed cord clamping in term babies with adequate nutrition is marginal, as are the risks of jaundice, so not a huge case to be made either way.

Thanks for filling me in, I just hadn't heard that part when we were making this decision 2 years ago.

jeb2013 · March 2013

Cord blood banking it used in United States for studies now, its only being used in outside countries for its full benefit. I would like the believe it will be useful but I have high doubts. And it's pretty expensive.

RunningGal900 · March 2013

jkuns7ty:
Our doctor felt it was more important to let the baby get all the cord blood at delivery, and advised us to do delayed cord clamping instead. We decided to take her advice. You should look up the benefits of each and decide which is right for you.

This is what we opted to do as well. My OB believes this should be the medical standard.

OliveMom3 · March 2013

I've already signed up to donate our cord blood. I'm a FTM and if it will further research or be a match to someone who needs it then why not. It's free to donate it and our hospital has a program that accepts the donation readily. It's too pricey for us to keep it for ourselves and the chances of us using it anyway are slim. That my two Canadian cents.

smilormarie · March 2013

I had always planned to bank cord blood, from when I first learned of it in '95. There are countless ways to use it, from blood disorders to growing cells for hearing, eyes, regrowing brain cells due to brain damage and experts believe the uses will grow exponentially over the next decade as there is more research. Whatever you know of today as a potential benefit, mutliply that by at least 10 for possible uses, more if you count all the way out to your kids' early 20's.

Alisyncarliene · March 2013

I wanted to but we can't afford it :

joycek7 · March 2013

there are banks which are less expensive and dont charge a yearly fee. MAZE is one of them. here's their websitewww.mazecordbood.com

also they have a gift registry so friends and family can help ou pay for it.

good luck

psychgirl33 · March 2013

We considered donation, but the hospital we are delivering at isn't a cord blood banking affiliate, so it wasn't an option. I don't think we'd pay to store cord blood, though.

joycek7 · March 2013

cord blood banking is very important and personal decision. if you decide on delayed clamping you can still bank you baby[s cord blood because some cells are better than none. diabetes has been in the news recently as one of the diseases currently being treated w umbilical stem cells.. check our maze labs, they are less expensive and dont charge a yearly fee so its less costly all the way around..

good luck

CDMay2006 · March 2013

We haven't discussed it yet, but from what i know so far i don't imagine we'd do cord blood banking, but probably donation.

TristaD81 · March 2013

We were planning on donating last time, we had the kit and everything. When we found out the morning of that I'd need a c /s, everything went out the window. I'll try to donate again this time.

NNGnome · March 2013

We thought about this last time round, and were planning to donate, as the cost of storage did not match the benefits, but in the end as LO was anaemic and Jaundice at birth the cord blood would have been useless (his poor little umbilicle cord was yellow Sad

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Cord blood banking

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