Cord Blood Bank

Status
Not open for further replies.

ericfromcowtown

Puritan Board Sophomore
I'm not sure if there is a more appropriate section for this. Moderators, if this should be posted elsewhere, can you please move it for me.

My wife and I are expecting our first child at the end of May, early June. One of the numerous pamphlets that are thrust upon you at the doctor's office is from the "Cord Blood Bank of Canada." The service provided by this company is extraction and storage of blood from your baby's umbilical cord. Specifically, it is the stem cells within the cord blood that are being saved.

Apart from the cost, $1100 for the first year and then $125 every year after that for storage, as soon as I hear "stem cells" my antennae go up. The reason the Cord Blood Bank of Canada thinks storing your baby's stem cells is important is that, "stem cells may one day be used to repair damaged hearts, brains, spinal cords, heal injury from strokes and heart attacks and minimize or cure diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and diabetes." That's quite the list. No promises, just maybes.

Now, this isn't directly an embryonic stem cells issue, but indirectly is it? :think: One would be banking on the possibility that one day stem cell research (including presumably advances aided by embryonic stem cell research), will make stem cells the silver bullet for a host of ailments.

What does everyone think? Am I looking for a controversy where there is none? Have any of you done this?
 
ericfromcowtown;

the only issue I would have with this would be the cost..

I'd much rather save the cord than see a child aborted for a similiar purpose.

But I guess something else to consider is IF it's a genetic issue that causes the problem, say it's a genetic issue for any and all things listed, the genetics of the stem cells saved and used would be the exact same correct? Thereby producing the same effect, but then that is coming to my own logical conclusion from what I understand about DNA and stem cells..but I may not be understanding how they would produce a different effect on the same person.

So, would they alter the DNA in the stem cells in some way in order to come to a different effect on the person?

I mean, if a disease is genetic, then using their own DNA isn't going to solve the problem will it? Or will they use the stem cells of a cord from one person for another person?
 
I'm admittedly ignorant of the details of stem cell research, but it is my understanding that no DNA manipulation is involved and that the fact that one's child is born with a defective heart, for instance, wouldn't be a hindrance, hypothetically, in using his stem cells in treatment for the heart. I think that this is all very hypothetical at the moment, though. Does anyone have any incite into this? My concern would be that you are piggy-backing on research that is embryonic in nature.

To be honest, the cost probably makes this a non-starter in any case, but as I said my antennae went up when I read "stem cells."
 
I should add that one of the "maybes" listed in the brochure is the potential use of your child's stem cells to aid another family member, since apparently stem cells from a family member may be a match to other members of the family, if stem cell research ever delivers on its promises.
 
I'm not that familiar with the procedure either, so maybe one of the local scientist or medical personal who post here can add more information...

My husband said something (and he's not a scientist) that he thinks they go in and remove certain sections of the DNA that hold the 'presumed' defect, I say that because how can we call it defective when God created them as such?

Who are we to say God created something defective? Doesn't He use even these things to draw some men to Himself? So how could it be defective? Maybe by man's ideas of perfect and imperfect yes, but not God's...
 
On a very basic level, the cost is factor, especially when the hospital is able to turn them in for nothing. I know my eldest son's cord was kept for examination and possibly sent to a local school or what not simply because it was uniquely short. So personally, don't pay a dime, tell them to do what they want at their own expense since they are the ones that benefit.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top