What price tag would you put on your child’s health? Is there a monetary value you would put on potentially curing an uncurable disease? What exactly would you be buying into? Are you purchasing an insurance policy that guarantees your child a long, healthy life? Or are you investing in a neurotic vulnerable parent trap? Cord blood banking is a hot topic in the pediatric community. Is there value in paying $2500 to bank your newborn’s umbilical cord blood? With Drew we fell victim to the shear mention of cord blood curing thousands of blood disorders, muscular diseases and potentially more in the future. Now, as more mature 2nd time parents, we are reassessing the value of cord blood banking. G-d forbid your child were to get one of these horrible diseases, you would feel so vulnerable and so paralyzed by your inability to do anything to help. Would cord blood banking give you the opportunity to possibly contribute something to an unthinkable circumstance? Or is cord blood banking an elaborate marketing scheme to prey on vulnerable parents who would do anything, spend any amount of money to guarantee their child’s health? And what does the payment get you? Do you get a guarantee that your child will be and/or stay healthy? If your child were diagnosed with one of these diseases, would their own cord blood do anything to help them? The medical community is split – some say it’s a small price to pay for the potential benefit, although benefit yet undetermined due to slow research results and others say there is no clinical evidence that cord blood will do anything for that particular child. As a parent, do you risk the $2500 just for the 1% (or maybe even less) that in the worst of circumstances the cord blood is able to help you? Or do you side with the American Academy of Pediatrics that says there is no clinical relevance to privately banking your child’s cord blood? Much like the green movement, how do we, as consumers, take away the true value of something that is so heavily marketed to our biggest fears?
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I'm a mother, wife, daughter, and friend. Until recently I was also an employee. Now that I'm a full time mom, I've decided to make my thoughts, concerns and feelings public.
I am neurotic, thoughtful, emotional and sometimes even crazy. Mostly, I have a lot to say and would like to share it. -
I hear ya…. I would spend the money because of the what ifs. I would spend the money on something else so I would Just do it! Good luck with your choice but I would pay anything for Ender.
I hear you. We banked Savannah's cord blood after we had much the same conversation you are having now. My thinking was, could I ever live with the guilt if something happened to Savannah, and I could have possibly have helped cure her. I do not want to have to live thinking "what if?" Tough choice.