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I saw this story today on umbilical cord blood uses and wondered if you donated your child's umbilical cord for research. According to the story, that is not controversial like other stem cell research. I don't think anyone every asked me if I wanted to donate for free. I just got all the brochures about paying hundreds of dollars a year to store the umbilical cord blood for future use.
From ABC: Umbilical cord blood is being studied at the blood bank in St. Louis. If at one point in time you needed a stem cell transplant for a malignancy that bank of stem cells from the cord blood would be used to find an ideal match for you. While the collection happens after a baby is born, we're told this is not at all associated with the controversial early stem cell issue.
The controversy lies more with fetal stem cells. When we collect cord blood, we use adult stem cells not fetal stem cells-even though it's a newborn. The hope is the new program at Saint Luke's hospital in Missouri will help the need for minority donors. A patient who's African American, Hispanic, Asian, who needs a stem cell transplant, is less likely to find a match.
The donations to be handled here at the hospital are for public use. Like those gathered at a blood bank, they go to any patient who needs them.
And that might be an adult or child, a patient with leukemia, sickle cell anemia, or an immune deficiency to name a few. That collection program at Saint Luke's starts on December 1st.
Did you donate your umbilical cord for stem cell research? Why or why not?
-NewsAnchorMom Jen
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14 comments:
Illinois passed the nation's first umbilical cord stem cell donation bill. It was sponsored by Peoria Rep. Dave Leitch several years ago.
Wow, I didn't know that. I wonder why no one asked me when I had my son. Hmmmmm
I know they asked us and we did donate with our first child, I don't remember them asking us with our second.
Call OSF to get the details. I think I remember them saying it was a conflict of interest for the hospital to chose 1 company and work with them to collect the blood. Pregnant moms are perfectly able to bring the collection kit into the hospital and have their CNM or Ob/Gyn collect the blood, but the hospital itself cannot provide the packets and ask the mom to do it.
We did not donate ours for research. We banked it privately. Hopefully, there's never a need for the blood, but storing it is a form of health insurance and we didn't want to regret our decision down the road.
We initially thought cord blood banking was out of our price range, but we set up a gift registry at CBR and let our family and friends help defray the expense by contributing. Also used the $250 coupon from
http://www.cord-blood-banking-coupon.com
Neynay-that would make sense. I do wonder if there's a way to make it easier on moms. I was concerned about getting through the labor and delivery when I was in the hospital. I don't think cord blood crossed my mind. I will call and find out the scoop today and post it this afternoon. Thanks for the tip!
I was offered and did consent to donate cord blood with all my births. With one of the births, they weren't able to get enough blood to make the donation. It's too bad this option isn't more widely known--if one isn't going to use (save) the cord blood for themselves, donating it is an easy way to benefit others.
Jenny I donated at OSF via UICOMP. I called the contact at UICOMP and she was supposed to send a collection kit over to the hospital. I told the L&D staff when I arrived that I was donating and they had the kit. There were various research projects going on, cancer, etc. I got to choose to which project I wanted the CB donated. I have an email into the UICOMP IRB to see if they know the contact, I can't remember her name! When I get the info I'll post it here. Donation is free.
Perfect! Thanks a ton!
When I took a birthing class at BroMenn in 2004 they told us about donating cord blood, but then told us all the banks were full so they wouldn't be able to accept it anyways. Maybe that's not the case now, but you're right, nobody even mentioned it when I had my son last year in Peoria.
Yes, we donated our umbilicalcord blood with our sons, here in Peoria at OSF. I had read about it and told my OB/GYN that we wished to donate. I took the kit to the hospital as the company that handled the collecting had sent me a packet per my request.
I delivered at Proctor and we had a lady come in and talk to us about it. We did decide to go ahead and donate at that time. I was think the studies were going to be done at U of I. Somewhat foggy memory I guess. Can't imagine why!! LOL
I also donated my daughters from 2004 and 2007. I was at Proctor and someone asked me the first time. The second time, I don't remember since I already knew about it. I wish we could have banked it privately .. unfortunate that it can benefit research for free but we have to pay a fortune to keep it for our own family. I don't know where it went but I hope it did some good!
You beat me to the answer in your recent post, but here's the contact at UICOMP in case anyone looks here....
Peggy Mankin at 671-3445
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