Cost of Cord Blood Banking Covered on Television

I found this little piece from an NBC news affiliate and thought it was worth passing along.

It discusses the cost of private cord blood banking and notes "Banking a baby's cord blood can initially cost between $1,200 and $1,800, plus an additional $100 to $125 a year."

The article doesn't provide much more than that, but it is nice to see mainstream news sources providing some perspective, no matter how slight, on the issue of cord blood banking.

You can read the full article here.

Cord Blood Dilemma for Parents

More and more parents are opting to store their newborn's umbilical cord blood.

Some are motivated by a desire to make the umbilical cord blood stem cells immediately available for research and/or treatment of those with disorders for whom cord blood therapy is a workable alternative.

Others are motivated by the hope that scientific progress will eventually render umbilical cord stem cells a means by which to cure their child's future ailments.

In the meantime, private cord blood banking (which allows for the saving of cord blood for eventual specific individual use) is available only for those who can afford the often hefty price tag. Parents without significant means are left only with public banking as an option.

This is beginning to look like a classic case of the haves and have-nots. The poor cannot afford to take action to help their specific children in the future, yet they may become the source of cord blood that helps those with quality medical care in the present. Meanwhile, the wealthy can draw off the cord blood supplies of the poor today while privately banking the umbilical cord blood of their offspring for the future.

This piece gives more info...

Success of Cord Blood Stem Cells Applauded

The Australian theage.com reports that thousands of people have been medically assisted via treatments utilizing stem cells retrieved from stored cord blood.

The article discusses a South Korean success story, in particular, and argues that the political controversy over stem cells may be unnecessary.

According to The Age, embryonic stem cell research is not as promising as research and treatment related to umbilical cord blood stem cells. It argues that the controversy surrounding stem cell research can be averted by use of non-embryonic stem cells (read: cord blood stem cells) and that cord blood banking offers great hope for medical treatment.

The author states: "So the twist to the stem cell story will actually be no setback for patients, provided that enough research funding is available to adult and cord blood stem cells and is not being funnelled to embryo stem cells instead."

It is worth mentioning that the article appears to be from a pro-life source who probably maintains a significant bias against stem cell research. Nonetheless, the article makes interesting observations regarding potential shortcomings in emryonic stem cell use and does argue persuasively for cord blood banking and research. You can read it here.

Cord Blood Stem Cells Show Spinal Cord Promise

A Korean team has found cord blood cells to be creating a significant improvement in the condition of a spinal cord injury victim.

An article from Biblical Family Advocates outlines the improvements, noting "the patient could mover her hips and feel her hip skin on day 15 after the transplantation."

Of course, hearing about medical gains related to the use of umbilical cord blood is exciting. This article, however, is most interesting because it shows how the anti-embryonic stem cell research Christians are rallying around the use of stem cells.

The editorial, for instance, bemoans "With these kinds of treatments why are States like California funding the unproven and unethical killing machine of embryonic stem cell research?"

It is an interesting primer on the way umbilical cord blood research has possible political advantage for the right's attack on embryonic stem cell research.

You can read it here.