Margaret Stephens of Fountain Hills, Arizona, first heard about cord blood banking around the time she became pregnant with her daughter, Sylvie, now 8 months old. “My family history of breast and colon cancer and lymphoma played a big part in my decision to bank Sylvie’s cord blood,” says Stephens. “Even though cord blood stem cells aren’t being used to treat those diseases right now, research is ongoing and I really believe this will be the treatment of choice in the future,” she explains. “I look at it more as insurance for her, and for me and other family members.”
The Stephenses’ primary reason for banking their daughter’s cord blood — peace of mind — is one any parent can relate to. You do so much to prepare for your child’s birth and ensure his or her life will be a healthy, happy one. So is cord blood banking one of the things you ought to consider? To decide, it helps to know something about how the process works, and what cord blood may be able to do (and what it can’t), should you ever need it. Go to the second page to learn more
