Is Storing Umbilical Cord Blood After Birth A Free Procedure?

Sep 26
08:10

2011

Kelsey Libby

Kelsey Libby

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If you have a history of family genetic disorders, and are thinking about having a child, then storing umbilical cord blood after birth of the child will truly be beneficial. The chances that a baby will need his own cord blood cells for transplant are very rare. But it helps to be prepared. But why store the umbilical cord blood? Reason being, it is a rich source for stem cells.

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If you have a history of family genetic disorders,Is Storing Umbilical Cord Blood After Birth A Free Procedure?  Articles and are thinking about having a child, then storing umbilical cord blood after birth of the child will truly be beneficial. The chances that a baby will need his own cord blood cells for transplant are very rare. But it helps to be prepared. But why store the umbilical cord blood? Reason being, it is a rich source for stem cells. Genetic disorders often require injections of healthy stem cells in order to be cured. The other source of acquiring stem cells, is locating a bone marrow donor with a perfect match.

This is time consuming, and chances of perfect matches are not very high either. So why not use stem cells which are genetically distinctive to your baby? In case the child develops a disease, you will not have a problem asking relatives to run tests to find the perfect match. If you are willing to store umbilical cord blood after birth of your baby, then you need to inform your obstetrician about your decision, so that arrangements can be made for the procedure.

The umbilical cord blood is collected within five to ten minutes of the delivery, and you will be charged extra for this procedure. The fees linked with storing umbilical cord blood after birth varies according to the options you select.  If you choose to store the blood in a private bank, then the health care provider will bring a kit to collect the blood. The cost of private blood bank ranges from $900 - $2000, depending on the bank you choose, along with the initial fee, you will need to pay an annual storage fee of $125.

Storage facilities offer different plans for the storage of blood, and sometimes they even offer discounts to make things convenient for families. But when it comes to a child’s health, parents know no boundaries. Many parents are now opting to store umbilical cord blood after birth. Since genetic diseases and childhood cancers, show symptoms during the early stages of the baby’s life, you can find out whether or not you will need the cord blood. If you feel that you do not need the cord blood, then there are donating options, and the stem cells can be used by those who are not privileged to pay for the procedure.