Analysis and
Health
Banking a baby’s umbilical cord blood was once seen as a reasonable way to protect their future health, but much of that potential has turned out to be mere hype
By Grace Wade
Umbilical cord blood contains stem cells that can be used to treat some health conditions
aldegonde le compte / Alamy
Cord blood banking was all the rage about a decade ago. Companies pitched it almost as an insurance policy for a child’s future health, preserving the stem cells in the blood for life-saving treatments just over the horizon. Yet it has become increasingly clear that much of the promise was overblown – paying to bank your baby’s cord blood is rarely worth it.
“The hype was…
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