Dr Tanya - Our Resident Pediatrician

First, let me explain what cord blood banking is in case some parents reading this aren't familiar with the term. Cord blood is the blood in your baby's umbilical cord. It is rich in stem cells. If you choose to bank your baby's cord blood, after your baby is born and the cord is cut, the blood that remains in the cord will be sucked out, saved and sent to the cord blood bank of your choice. This should be arranged with your Ob/Gyn prior to your baby's delivery because you must bring the collection kit with you to the hospital.

The pros of banking cord blood are that if you or a family member needs it in the future, then it will be available and may be life saving. Basically you are taking out an insurance policy for the chance that your child or even a family member may need those cells in the future. Stem cells have successfully been used to treat many life-threatening diseases such as leukemia and aplastic anemia.

The cons are that it is expensive; you may never need it and even if you do, it may or may not be useful at that time. Medical advancements are being made every day, and in the future there will be a lot more that scientists can do with the tiny cells. The American Academy of Pediatrics as well as many experts are in favor of a national cord blood banking system so that more people will benefit than just those who can afford to bank their own baby's cord blood. Talk to your pediatrician and see how he or she feels.

For more information on cord blood banking, please refer to the American Academy of Pediatrics website http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/jan07cordblood.htm