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 MIAMI (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- A baby's umbilical cord isn't just waste anymore. In fact, research shows cord blood could be life-saving! Today, many parents are faced with a tough decision. Today, many parents must decide whether to donate their baby's umbilical cord blood or keep it.
When little Jubin was born 10 days ago, first-time parents Sonaz and Daria Hamrah were overjoyed, but they had a tough decision to make -- should they donate Jubin's umbilical cord blood to a public bank or store it in a private bank?
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 "In the future, it could be lifesaving," Daria says.
Umbilical blood is extracted right after a baby is born and contains stem cells that can be used to treat more than 75 diseases ranging from immune disorders to leukemia.
Jason James, M.D., an OBGYN in Miami, thinks parents are best off storing their baby's blood in a private bank, so only they can use it if the baby ever needs a stem cell transplant.
"In that blood is genetically identical stem cells to that child," Dr. James says.
With permission, family members can also use cord blood stored in private banks for a closer match. But storing privately comes at a price. Banks charge up to $2,000 up-front and about $100 a year to keep the blood -- a price Dr. James says is worth it.
"Really, the holy grail of stem cell medicine is the future," he says. "Hopefully, at some point, they will be able to use their stem cells to cure diabetes, heart disease, to help with brain injury."
Right now, Gary Kleiner, M.D., Ph.D., a pediatric immunologist at the University of Miami School of Medicine, only recommends private storage if there's a family history of genetic diseases or blood disorders like leukemia.
"If a family does not have a history of these major problems, the chances are that you're not going to need the cord blood," Dr. Kleiner explains. "If a public bank is available, I always recommend patients strongly consider donating to a public bank."
 A public bank is free and sells the cord blood to anyone who needs it. It's not an exact match, but most of the time, it doesn't have to be. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the odds a child would need his own blood at this time are as slim as one in 200,000.
Even so -- Sonaz and Daria chose to keep Jubin's blood in a private bank.
"It's like having car insurance," says Daria.
"It was definitely worth it just for that piece of mind," Sonaz says.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Rita Kennen
1-888-775-1423
www.cordblood.com
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