More and more parents (although, the number is still far from being the majority) are making the choice of banking their newborn's cord blood. Parents who have considered the possibility of a serious illness which might affect the health of their children.

Why? A newborn's cord blood has a different type of hemoglobin, with a greater concentration of stem cells; which is later eventually replaced with the "normal" adult type of blood. And when this umbilical cord is stored at birth, it could be used for a bone marrow transplant later.

"The bone marrow is where all of the blood elements are made. From it are made red blood cells (oxygen-carrying cells), white blood cells (infection-fighting cells), and platelets (clotting elements). The blood of the umbilical cord at birth contains what are called "stem" cells, because these cells can transform into any of the three types of blood cells mentioned above."

For someone whose family's health history does not really look rosy, I would not risk to not have the possibility of having a "perfect match" within my grasp.

Should you want to explore more about this topic, check out Babyzone for his take on the financial risk vs. medical benefit of Cord Blood Retrieval.

If you are seriously thinking of taking this form of medical insurance, check out
ParentsGuideCordBlood.

Think about it!