Cancer research foundation offers advice on freezing and saving cord blood.

2004 JUL 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Several companies advocate the saving and freezing of cord blood for future family use, but the question for expectant parents remains, when does it make sense to save and store cord blood and at what expense?

"I am asked all the time if expectant parents should save and freeze their baby's cord blood. My answer is yes - and no," stated Curt Civin, Samuelson professor of oncology and pediatrics at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and medical advisory board member of the Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research.

"Perhaps yes, in the rare case where there is a family history of a specific illness which could be treated with cord blood stem cells, or if a cord blood transplant could help a sibling suffering from specific types of cancer.

"However, there are many instances in which cord blood couldn't or shouldn't be used, even in those cases involving the infant himself. The odds that the average baby will ever use its banked cord blood have been estimated at 4 in 10000 or .04

Civin adds that the money spent on freezing and storing cord blood for the average family, which can range from $1,200 - $1,800 for the first year and $100 every year thereafter, might be better put into a savings bond for college.

"On the other hand, I often tell expectant parents that harvesting their baby's cord blood could actually save the life of another child suffering from leukemia or other bone marrow illness and, therefore, donating that blood could have an immediate and positive ...