Re: Cord Blood to treat Diabetes?

I am currently 4 months pregnant and my doctor mentioned doing the cord blood banking because they are doing studies to treat type 1 diabetes with cord blood. Has anyone heard anything about this? Have any good information? I would REALLY like to do it, but it is expensive and insurance doesn't cover it. However, I guess there is no price tag on a cure for diabetes! I would pay every penny I have if it meant being healthy!

I have been wondering about this too. I banked my daughter's cord blood years ago, but not my son's because I could not afford it at the time. I have wondered if there is in fact a way to treat T1 with cord blood, if blood I have stored from my daughter would work for my son.

I'm not sure if you can, but maybe ask you ob/gyn if there's a way to donate it?

I know a mom who banked her youngest's cord blood after having her older son diagnosed with diabetes. It can be used for different people, your daughter's may work for your son, if they are matches. I don't think they have a treatment for T1 with cord blood yet, they do use it for some cancers already. It is a part of Stem Cell Research, because there are stem cells in the cord blood. I also have heard that there are different types of cord blood banking. Some of them bank the blood so that just you can access it for your family, while others are more similar to a blood bank where anybody who needs it can get it. Definitely something to consider if you can afford it, not just for diabetes, but for other diseases a family member might get. Congratulations on your baby!

This is very important to do this because it is very important during pregnancy.I am not a doctor but my mother told me.

I'm only 13 but I would DEFINITLY bank your child's chord blood because of serveral reasons.

1) It helps find a cure for diabetes.

2) It has no need for the distruction embryo stemcells.

3)Sciencits arent sure if adult stem cells will work to cure diabetes.

I'm saying these things as a prolife patriot and a T1D victim. ;)

I'm 8 months pregnant and did a lot of research on this because my husband has Type 1.  JDRF actually has a statement on cord blood banking that I found really helpful.  In the end, it's up to you!  I ended up deciding to donate my baby's cord blood to a public bank rather than pay to have it privately banked for our use only, because the likelihood that we'd be able to use it is so very low.  There are public banks that you can donate to, and the cord blood can be used for research and to help treat others for all sorts of issues that are currently treatable with cord blood.  Here's the link to JDRF's statement, which also quotes from statements from the American Academy of Pediatrics:  www.jdrf.org/index.cfm

RachelL is right on.  The chance of a type 1 parent having a diabetic child are statistically pretty small.  But the cells from cord blood can be used by countless others.  

This study talks about how stem cells from cord blood can be used to re-educate a diabetic's troubled beta cells, which increases the diabetic's prodution of insulin!  www.sciencedaily.com/.../120109211827.htm