If you are pregnant or have recently had a baby, you are likely at least a little familiar with the idea of banking or preserving your new baby's umbilical cord blood.

This umbilical cord blood is saved when a baby is born, cryogenically stored, and then available if your child later becomes sick and needs a bone marrow transplant. This type of transplant would be 'autologous' and is different than the more common 'allogenic' transplants that might be done from a sibling or other relative or an unrelated donor.

What is Cord Blood Banking?

In its simplest terms, cord blood banking is the collection and storage of the stem cells found in your newborn's umbilical cord. Today, cord blood stem cells have been used successfully in the treatment of over 40 life-threatening diseases. When you bank your baby’s cord blood, you are making a choice that could potentially provide a lifesaving treatment for your child or a family member.

If you begin to investigate cord blood banking, the first road block that you will likely come upon is the price.

Should they feel guilty? 

The answer to the first one is a definite no. The American Academy of Pediatrics goes as far as saying that 'it is difficult to recommend that parents store their children's cord blood for future use.'

Should you bank your baby's cord blood?

You will have to decide for yourself. The answer is easier if you have a child or family member that already has a condition that can be treated with a stem cell transplant, such as sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, aplastic anemia, leukemia, metabolic storage disorders and certain genetic immunodeficiencies. In this case, you should definitely try to bank your child's umbilical cord blood.

Having your child's cord blood available does have benefits, including that:

• the cord blood is easily available if you ever do need it

• these stem cells will be a perfect match for your child, while there is only a 25% chance that a sibling will be a match