why store cord blood?
For most families the likelihood that a child will ever need his or her own blood are very low. Statistics on such a probability vary, but range from 1 in 10,000 (according to the New York Blood Center) to 1 in 200,000 (according to the National Institutes of Health in the US). It should also be noted that storing cord blood, as with any other transplant therapy treatment, does not provide a guarantee of a cure.
However, while cord blood may never be used, many parents see the storage of their baby's cord blood as a worthwhile investment for potential future treatment of disease. The knowledge that their baby's stem cells are stored and readily available if ever required may give enormous peace of mind and makes their decision a highly satisfying one.
Adding to all of this is the fact that stem cell research
is a developing and promising area of medicine. Almost daily reports
present the latest research findings, in what is a highly dynamic and
progressing field.