Pros and Cons of Private Cord Blood Banking

Sometimes it seems like the whole world is heralding the wonders of cord blood banking, especially when you are expecting a child. While it is true that cord blood banking has many possible benefits, it’s a good idea to sit down and take a look at the pros and cons before making a decision.

Cord Blood Banking Pros

The single major ‘pro’ of cord blood banking is the fact that cord blood can be used to treat a wide variety of medical conditions for the donor, and the donor’s parents and siblings. This is a potentially life saving investment for the whole familiy.

In many ways, the importance of this ‘pro’ really can’t be overstated.

Cord Blood Banking Cons

There are three ‘cons’ to cord blood banking:

The cost – cord blood banking is expensive. The cost can easily run over $1000 for the initial fee, and then a yearly storage charge.

It may never be needed – the medical conditions that cord blood is used to treat are relatively rare. Most families will never experience any of them.

It may not be usable – for a variety of reasons, the cord blood may not be usable. There may not be enough collected, it may contain the genes that cause the illness that is being treated, it may have other problems. And some medical conditions that are treated with cord blood are best treated with cord blood from an unrelated donor.

Adding Up the Pros and Cons

As a potentially lifesaving option, cord blood banking is probably a good idea for people who can afford it easily. However, given the likelihood that it will go unused, and the possibility that after paying for it for years, it will turn out to be unusable, if the cost is more than a family can easily afford, it’s probably better not to try. Public cord blood banks are available for people who need cord blood and haven’t been able to store it privately; and people who can’t afford the cost of cord blood banking can always donate their baby’s cord blood to one of these public banks.

Sometimes it seems like the whole world is heralding the wonders of cord blood banking, especially when you are expecting a child. While it is true that cord blood banking has many possible benefits, it’s a good idea to sit down and take a look at the pros and cons before making a decision.

Cord Blood Banking Pros

The single major ‘pro’ of cord blood banking is the fact that cord blood can be used to treat a wide variety of medical conditions for the donor, and the donor’s parents and siblings. This is a potentially life saving investment for the whole familiy.

In many ways, the importance of this ‘pro’ really can’t be overstated.

Cord Blood Banking Cons

There are three ‘cons’ to cord blood banking:

The cost – cord blood banking is expensive. The cost can easily run over $1000 for the initial fee, and then a yearly storage charge.

It may never be needed – the medical conditions that cord blood is used to treat are relatively rare. Most families will never experience any of them.

It may not be usable – for a variety of reasons, the cord blood may not be usable. There may not be enough collected, it may contain the genes that cause the illness that is being treated, it may have other problems. And some medical conditions that are treated with cord blood are best treated with cord blood from an unrelated donor.

Adding Up the Pros and Cons

As a potentially lifesaving option, cord blood banking is probably a good idea for people who can afford it easily. However, given the likelihood that it will go unused, and the possibility that after paying for it for years, it will turn out to be unusable, if the cost is more than a family can easily afford, it’s probably better not to try. Public cord blood banks are available for people who need cord blood and haven’t been able to store it privately; and people who can’t afford the cost of cord blood banking can always donate their baby’s cord blood to one of these public banks.