Storing cord blood is suitable for every mother unless your gynaecologist has cautioned you of a difficult or complicated pregnancy. Cord blood banking is particularly useful and advisable for the following groups of people as a form of biological insurance:
Families with a history of blood disorder and cancers
Cord blood banking potentially offers stem cell transplant as an extra treatment option.
Small families and single child families, mothers with difficult or late pregnancies, or sub-fertile couples
As the child may be the only child and hence will not have any donor if he develops any disease that requires a stem cell transplant.
Couples of Different Ethnic Groups
It will be difficult for these couples to find a donor from public cord blood banks as the genetic constitution would be very different.
The First Born Child
It is advisable to bank cord blood for the first born as we will not know if subsequent pregnancies will be successful. If the first born turns out to be the only child, he will not have any siblings to depend on for blood stem cells, should he require any.
