This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

As the birth of our boy approaches, we're struggling with the decision whether or not to bank the cord blood.

I've done some reading, but the majority of what's out there seems to be biased toward banking it.

It costs about $1000 to set up, then another $125/year. This is one of the companies that works with our hospital: www.insception.com

Is there any benefit specifically for people with MS?

Some drawbacks I've heard:

- no government (Canada) regulation on how it is stored
- only lasts up to 10 years
- no guarantees the cells will survive
- genetic abnormalities causing ailment will be present in the cord blood as well
- baby loses the precious beneficial moments of cord pulsing, where iron and oxygen rich blood moves back up the cord after delivery.
- other avenues of stem cell research are developing quickly
- $$
- there isn't enough in a cord to adequately treat an adult

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. I am almost convinced not to do it, but the guilt I would feel in the event it could have been useful is enough to give me pause.

we banked - knowing it would be there for our daughter & for me as a safe sample if they can figure out what to d with it - we went with CBR and have been very happy with them - there was an option to pay a lesser amt upfront for the whole thing and then no monthly payments ... friend & family were more than happy to help with this expense & ask for the best promotional rate - the markets seemed really competitive.All the best for a fast delivery, rapid recovery & healthy baby!

We asked my husband's neurologist about cord blood banking a few years ago, when I was pregnant with our son. The doctor clearly thought we were kind of crazy for considering it (which may say more about the doctor than about the actual usefulness of cord blood banking).

We eventually decided against it. Banking is expensive, and its possible usefulness to us, in regards to MS, was unknown. So we decided that it would be better to donate the cord blood and hope that someone else could get use from it in another way.

All the options here are good ones, I think.

--Mamacita
http://multiplesclerosisrecipes.blogspot.com/