Cord blood banking is a relatively new concept. It means taking your baby’s umbilical cord and saving it in a cord blood bank. This storage was created so the cord could be used later on in the treatment of many different types of ailments. This is beneficial because your baby will not have to wait on a matching donor or ask a relative to help if their cord blood is being safely stored. There is also an option to donate cord blood to a government funded facility which means that the cord blood can be donated to any patient who is a good match and would not be kept merely in case your child someday needs it. However, this important tool could save lives.
Cord blood is great for many conditions including leukaemia, sickle cell, metabolic disorders and immune system issues. There is some controversy over cord blood banking and its relationship to stem cell research. Not every country allows for the storage of cord blood but it is available in the UK and is becoming increasingly popular.
Should you decide to privately store cord blood there is a cost attributed to this. The initial fee is ranges from £800 to £1200 and approximately £50 each year to store the cord blood.