Banking blood

As most of you know Upby19 and I would like to have a baby after we marry. I thought I'd considered everything, but the other day I saw a commercial for banking the umbilical cord blood for the stem cells. If your child happens to get an illness the stem cells can (hopefully) be used. I'd honestly never thought about that before and am now thinking seriously about it.

Thoughts? Anyone done this?

More info: http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/pregnancy/cord_blood.html

I had never heard of banking cord blood when my daughter was born. We chose not to do it for my son because of the cost.

My daughter's cousin has neuroblastoma, so with that in her family, I really wish we had been able to do this.

I saw the information about donating the blood, rather than banking it. I may look into that for this baby, as again the cost is something we really can't do right now.

Naya had an interview at a place that does that. I think it's one of the biggest companies that does it.

/only thing I have to contribute

If you can afford to do it, I think it's a great idea. It's not only your child who might benefit from it. Some day one of the two of you might.

I'm a HUGE advocate of stem cell research and use.

Well as a religious person I would have to say stem cell research is not acceptable, but as a fellow human being, if you get a chance to live longer go for it! Plus the stem cell situation is, mmm lets say opinionated! I can understand the church not liking the fact that baby embryos that have been conceived are being killed just to get the stem cells but then there are the other ways to get the cells that does not mean killing newly conceived embryos! So its not black and white and not all people are religious either! In many ways I also believe that God uses modern technology to do his will on this earth. Thats my 2 cents, he he he!

The Vatican just issued their official statement on bioethics and I thought they were ok with umbilical cord blood use. I could be wrong though as I only skimmed the article on it.

But in any case, I've read about it too and Zak and I will most likely do it. If the child doesn't need it in the future, like Trish said, it may very well benefit a family member in need.

The Vatican just issued their official statement on bioethics and I thought they were ok with umbilical cord blood use. I could be wrong though as I only skimmed the article on it.



I try very hard to respect religion. Especially the very one I was raised with. But sometimes I have a very difficult time understanding why an idea that would benefit millions would be nixed because of what they think is fact. I'm just being 100% open and honest when I say I truly don't understand. :(

I try very hard to respect religion. Especially the very one I was raised with. But sometimes I have a very difficult time understanding why an idea that would benefit millions would be nixed because of what they think is fact. I'm just being 100% open and honest when I say I truly don't understand. :(

I think new biotechnology is often scary and has tremendous potential for misuse and abuse, but I don't think banning it outright is the answer either.

I try very hard to respect religion. Especially the very one I was raised with. But sometimes I have a very difficult time understanding why an idea that would benefit millions would be nixed because of what they think is fact. I'm just being 100% open and honest when I say I truly don't understand. :(

I don't understand it or agree with it. I also don't agree with the fact that the US government can restrict the research based on religious beliefs. In fact, it angers me.

I guess its like everything in life, has an upside a downside and everyone has an opinion. In the beginning communism would have seemed like a good idea with everyone being equal, until some officials saw how easily corruptable the whole system was or still is! Im all for what ever makes a person feel happy, healthy and secure in life! For each one of us its differant things. Personally if I was you Goldfire I would do it! I had this thing called cholestitoma if thats how you spell it, its a growth in the ear canal and I tell ya its like cancer, its grows into your brain and destroys the bones in your ear that help you hear! I had 4 operations to remove it and reconstuct my hearing, its not bad now, but it cost like 42 thousand to fix! If that could have been avoided by sticking a stem cell in or something or I dont know, coz i dont know much about it. But I have a metal bone in there now and maybe they could have grown me a new bone in there with stem cells, that would have made my life easier! Now Im not complaining, Im happy with my life and there are so many people worse off than me, Im just using it as an idea for you to see that maybe you could give your baby a better life if you do it! Either way you will do the right thing, your heart is in the right place and that is all you can ask of a mother! Good luck!

I can understand the church not liking the fact that baby embryos that have been conceived are being killed just to get the stem cells but then there are the other ways to get the cells that does not mean killing newly conceived embryos!

I am not really sure how banking the cord blood is connected to killing the embryos? From what I understand the blood is collected from placenta after the baby is born.

And what exactly the church doesn`t like about collecting the blood from placenta???

It's a good idea all round, Goldfire, if you can afford to do so without over extension. Stem cell research will be vastly popular in years to come and I have no doubt that, in the future, it will be a main source of our population's continued health and well-being.

As for religion, they have an sound and stubborn stance as to what is life - without the need to know anything about biological research methods or what constitutes a life in biological terms. The same misunderstanding, however, can be projected upon the scientists facilitating stem cell research. From the religious perspective - do these scientists really know what life is for religious culture and how they're desecrating such life in our eyes?! It's a standard cultural conflict.

Both realities are startling assured of their own stance and so I can understand why there is such cat fighting over it. But, I believe this a non-issue of greater complexity than either side dares to deal with. The push in technological breakthroughs and the need to compete will drive our nation to do such research in the future, bolstered by public outcry.

I see the simply need to separate our government decisions with our religious ones, pronto, will absolve the main roadblocks to science. But I suppose that is easier said than done, and needs to be done so with tastefulness - lest we enjoy larger internal feuds down the road.

I try very hard to respect religion. Especially the very one I was raised with. But sometimes I have a very difficult time understanding why an idea that would benefit millions would be nixed because of what they think is fact. I'm just being 100% open and honest when I say I truly don't understand. :(

I guess I really don't give a shit about the catholic church! A person would be a little more receptive to what they say if a large amount of their leaders weren't pedophiles!

I guess I really don't give a shit about the catholic church! A person would be a little more receptive to what they say if a large amount of their leaders weren't pedophiles!

Amen! :D

I don't know a lot about this, it wasn't being offered when my children were born but I THINK the difference is in the original stem cell research which was done on IVF embryos "cultivated" specifically for the cells and the life was destroyed in the process. I am against that, emphatically, 100%. I heard that aborted babies were also used in the early days.

However, I think the new stuff is cord cells. The stem cells are extracted from the umbilical cord now and this is what is banked. I think this is probably a good idea for the future. I am sure science will progress in ways we can't imagine yet.

IMO, just because we CAN do something doesn't necessarily mean we SHOULD.

IMO, just because we CAN do something doesn't necessarily mean we SHOULD.

:agree:

I am not a religious person, but I do have reservations about embryonic stem cell research. I have similar reservations about cloned animals, GMO food, designer babies, etc. At the same time, I don't want to preclude wonderful medical advances that could save lives.

I really hope that scientists find that umbilical cord stem cells have equal potential as embryonic stem cells so that we don't have to make that difficult decision.