Cord blood banking - any experience / opinions?

[alicet]

My hubby and I are trying to decide whether we bank the cord blood of our baby when he is born incase he develops a disease where he needs it in the future. This is expensive (about £1200 give or take £200) and the odds of needing to use it have been quoted as between 1/1000 and 1/20000 but a part of me feels that I would find it very hard to cope knowing I didn't do it if he DID need it. Then I get angry that these companies are playing on my paranoia!!!

We really don't know what to do - does anyone have any experience of this?

[ruty]

i would love to do it but its not available as far as i know in NHS hospitals, even if you pay. Are you going private somewhere? I don't know where they offer it in the UK. makes perfect sense as a precaution to me.

[mears]

I am afraid I think that cord blood banking is making other people very rich for the reasons youe describe alicet.

[ruty]

its too expensive yes, but it is common sense to do it, no? In Canada if you are due for an operation you go in routinely a few times in advance to give your own blood so that it is there should you need it - which also makes perfect sense to me.

[Tyakit]

I looked into this before dd was born, back in Dec 2002 and decided against having discovered that the cord banks at that time were not regulated by the MCA or FACT and therefore it was highly unlikely that the blood would ever actually be allowed to be used. This put me off the whole idea.

[alicet]

Thanks for all your helpful comments.

Tyakit - that's an interesting and obviously very important point. I'll make sure i clarify that if we decide to go for it as there would be no point doing itif that was the case!!!

ruty - You have to get the kit to take the blood from a private company not the hospital you are having your baby at. Some are listed at www.parentsguidecordblood.com/ which also has some info on it. I think it depends on the hospital as to how far they will go to help you - my hospital (NHS not private) won't guarantee to help although they will if they are able so your partner might have to do it. Apparently it is pretty straightforward though and the kit comes with ful instructions.

If we decide to go for it I'll report back as to how we get on....

[ruty]

thanks alicet - i would be interested to see how you get on. will look at that website for future reference.