Article Discusses Cord Blood
The Birmingham news recently published an article entitled "Medical Treasure" about cord blood and the opportunities for advancing stem cell research that its gathering and banking can produce.
The article is positive about cord blood's use as a medical tool, and is supportive of the idea of umbilical cord blood banking.
The article, however, is at least somewhat critical of private cord blood banking solutions. It notes:
"First, it's expensive. Private cord blood banks charge about $1,800 to collect, test and cryogenically store the blood. Annual storage costs are about $125. Second, most of the diseases now treated by stem cell transplants from cord blood are rare. The chance that a child will need his or her stored cord blood is small, according to the American Academies of Pediatrics and Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Most of the diseases treatable by cord blood are inherited, and, in those cases, a child is better off getting a transplant of someone else's cells. His own could repeat the genetic flaw."
You can read the full article here.
The article is positive about cord blood's use as a medical tool, and is supportive of the idea of umbilical cord blood banking.
The article, however, is at least somewhat critical of private cord blood banking solutions. It notes:
"First, it's expensive. Private cord blood banks charge about $1,800 to collect, test and cryogenically store the blood. Annual storage costs are about $125. Second, most of the diseases now treated by stem cell transplants from cord blood are rare. The chance that a child will need his or her stored cord blood is small, according to the American Academies of Pediatrics and Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Most of the diseases treatable by cord blood are inherited, and, in those cases, a child is better off getting a transplant of someone else's cells. His own could repeat the genetic flaw."
You can read the full article here.
posted by Resident Expert @ 12/20/2005 11:56:00 AM
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