Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cordblood

To bank cord blood, or not to bank cord blood?

ajr — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:24:09 -0800

It's been over four years since No. 1 asked, so I'm asking for an update: should we bank or donate our baby's cord blood? Or just do nothing? As far as I know, there is not a family history of leukemia or lymphoma, but I'm not sure about genetic disposition. Has there been any real changes/advances in the science and genetics over the last four years that warrant an update to delfuego's answer?

Who should store our baby's cord blood?

sublivious — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:51:42 -0800

Who is the best cord blood bank? I'd like to enlist your experiences with cord blood banks. Who's easiest to deal with? Can we count on the cord blood being available no matter if the bank suffers financial hardships? Cost is an issue as well but that's not to say I want the cheapest bank I can find. Ideally I'd like to find a good balance between ease of use, dependability, and cost.

What's the deal with cord blood and farming your own stem cells?

mathowie — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 13:07:40 -0800

I've been reading up a bit lately on cord blood. It's kind of a cool idea, to capture stem cells your child may need someday -- kinda like always having "spare parts" available if anything goes wrong and technology continues to innovate. But I get the feeling that it costs a grand or so to start, and hundreds per year. I also hear that it may only help in childhood leukemia instances, so I'm on the fence. Is it worth the money? Are the applications for it real and tangible? Is it a smart insurance policy at this point or a silly thing worrisome parents are being bilked over?