Cord Blood Banking

Hi everyone,

I am pregnant and wanted to see if I bank my baby's cord blood if the stem cells could be used to help her BC in any way. I know that there are vaccines out there that use stem cells but does having a biologically compatible cells help in any way. Thanks, Anne

Anne
You have asked a very interesting question. Your interest in doing this can only be answered by the present vaccine program trials. At this point they are using the patients stem cells. Clinical trials cannot deviate from their protocol ,but it is an interesting concept to look into off trial. Ask your onc for contacts to find an immunnologists who can better answer your question. I can understand your need for you to help your sister, and would think you can get a better answer from Cancer Centers who have performed stem cell transplants out of a clinical trial. Such places should exists in your area. Here in CA we have City of Hope Hospital.

I applaud your initiative and your intriging idea.

Good luck and Best wishes, Christine

http://www.cellsforlife.com/angel.htm
check out the Cells for Life web site. It is very costly to bank the blood here in America, but they are doing it in Canada for next to nothing. Makes no sense to me why you should not be able to save blood you are supplying from your own baby. It's a simple thing, but you know, there has to money in it somewhere for everyone else....

PS - this is NOT stem cell research. This is good blood that gets thrown away everyday that could be saving lives.

Our daughter is less than 2 weeks away from having our first grandchild. She is going to use the Cord Blood Bank of Canada. The costs are $600 (Canadian $) for harvesting + the first year storge and $100 / year there after. She asked my advise and I told her that if she is looking at it as insurance, $100 / year is pretty cheap. Who knows where the technology will go.
Al

Interesting and great news to share!! Sounds as though this maybe, a new wave of the future once word gets around. Sandy

[anne]

Thanks everyone,

I was away so sorry I didn't get back sooner. I think this is a good idea too. It's about $2000 to bank and $300-$500 per year to store according to my OBGYn. Problem is that my mom's onc is a reseacher and he's not that enthusiastic about stuff he's not working on. But sounds like a good idea from what I get from you guys. Hope we will never need it !!!! XOXO
Anne