We looked into it when DS was born. Very expensive and our midwife told us that they're not actually permitted by the hospital to help us collect the blood, we'd have to do it ourselves, get it collected by the company during certain hours etc. Decided against it in the end.
I've already signed up for donation of cord blood - the optional paperwork was sent with the other hospital paperwork I had to complete when I booked for my delivery. I'm a big advocate of organ donation, so this kind of fits into my philosophy. However, the more I hear about delayed cord clamping, the more I question my decision. It's a hard balance because if my child needed cord blood to help them down the road, I'd be so thankful that someone donated to a cord blood bank. I know there was an article discussed on bellybelly some time ago about delayed cord clamping - does anyone know where that was posted?
PS - I have read both sides on whether it would be beneficial for your child to have their cord blood banked - the general feeling I was left with was that if the child whose cord blood was banked is the child who is sick, their cord blood would probably not be helpful - but, if you had a 2nd child and could use the cord blood of healthy child 1 to help sick child 2 or vis-a-versa (cord blood of healthy child 2 to help sick child 1), then this could be useful. I do think that if cord blood donation became as popular as blood donation, there could be a great benefit to society in general (but that's only my fairly uneducated opinion).
I was pretty much told what suga said. I also called a couple of companies who store it and collect in our area and I found that they weren't very forthcoming with information, which I think they should be as a private service provider and the $$$$ that they are asking for. The most concerning question I asked was what the % of stored cord blood is actually used and they went into the old we can't tell you that, it's confidential! I replied with "I am not asking for your clients names, just a percentage of how often it's actually used/needed". I can only presume that it's practically 0% or they would be advertising it as a very useful thing to do if the figures were good. I was also annoyed at the cost they are charging and with no REAL back up as to why anyone should pay that kind of money other than in the future it may be needed. Donation is not an option where I live but you'd think the companies that do collect in this area would charge a 'small' fee for collection and get funding for research or on sell it to the companies who do the research and then the parents who donate will still have their babies cord blood stored kwim
We were going to do it with DD, we could afford it at the time, had the paperwork organised, and then DD arrived 7 weeks early and all was forgotten. a week later when I was still in hospital with DD I got a phone call from the company saying they were jsut getting our package ready to send out and I said not to bother as she had already been born
We aren't bothering to do it this time, I am hoping to be able to do delayed cord clamping if it is possible at the time of delivery, one of the discussion questions I have for my OB this week
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and with no REAL back up as to why anyone should pay that kind of money other than in the future it may be needed. Donation is not an option where I live but you'd think the companies that do collect in this area would charge a 'small' fee for collection and get funding for research or on sell it to the companies who do the research and then the parents who donate will still have their babies cord blood stored kwim
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