Days ago we asked you if you had decided to keep the baby's stem cells or not with the idea of shedding a little light on this issue that many parents are facing for the birth of the baby. Based on the results of the survey, 48 percent of parents have preserved the umbilical cord stem cells of the baby at birth, either privately or publicly.
In the case of private banks it is a relatively new service, quite expensive and with a doubtful cost-benefit ratio. Those who have decided to keep them believe that it is life insurance, because hopefully not, but in case they need them, they could be used in the future to save the life of the son or a brother of this.
On the other hand, 19 percent of parents claim to have raised it but have finally decided not to. Among the reasons we find mainly the economic reason, since it is a service that is around two thousand euros, but there are also other reasons. There are parents who doubt the benefit of preserving cord stem cells, believe that information about the process is lacking, or do not agree to withdraw blood before the cord stops beating.
On the other hand, 10 percent of parents say they will or would do so if they have another child, while the same percentage, 10 percent, are not clear and are still evaluating.
But cryopreservation is not only done through a private company, but can also be done in a public bank, making them available to anyone who might need those stem cells to cure a disease.
Of those babies whose blood is cryopreserved in a private bank, half do so in a public bank. 16 percent of respondents have donated umbilical cord blood to a public bank. Most parents who have made this decision argue that it seems unethical to deny the possibility of using it to other families.
Although there may be some lack of information about the process, cryopreservation is an increasingly widespread service. All respondents have said they have heard of umbilical cord stem cells at some time, however 6 percent of parents say they still have not even considered keeping them.
The determination of conserving stem cells from the umbilical cord is a very personal decision. As you can see, there are opinions for all tastes, but that almost half of the parents have decided to keep them, either privately or publicly, is a sign that many consider it a worthwhile practice.
