Newspaper Page Text
Banking on
the Benefits of
Cord Blood
Special to the Ledger
By Richard N. Waldman,
MD
President, The American
Congress of Obstetricians
and Gynecologists
During pregnancy, many
women are asked whether
they plan to bank their
baby’s cord blood. Once
considered a waste product,
umbilical cord blood
contains stem cells that
can be used to treat certain
illnesses such as blood and
immune system disorders.
The stem cells found in
cord blood are also found
in bone marrow; however,
cord blood collection is
easier and less risky for the
donor. Blood is collected
from the umbilical cord
after the baby is delivered.
It is a simple and painless
procedure that lasts about
10 minutes.
After collection, cord
blood is either stored at a
private cord blood bank or
donated to a public bank
to be included in national
cord blood registries.
Private banks charge a
fee to store umbilical cord
blood for “directed dona
tion.’’ This means that the
same blood collected at
your baby’s birth is held
indefinitely in case your
child or a family member
develops a disease that can
be treated with stem cells.
Stem cells are not a mira
cle cure, and it’s important
to remember that there is
only a remote chance—
roughly 1 in 2,700—that
an infant will be able to
use its own cord blood in
the future. Many diseases
cannot be treated with a
person’s own stem cells.
Babies born with genetic
diseases cannot use their
own cord blood stem cells
because the blood may
include the same genes that
cause their disorder. And
because it is not known
how long cord blood can be
stored, there is no guaran
tee that privately-banked
blood will be available to
the same child or his or her
relatives.
Public cord blood banks,
which operate much like
typical blood banks, pro
vide donated cord blood
stem cells to any person
who needs it and is an
appropriate match. There
is no fee associated with
public cord blood bank do
nations. Public banks use a
rigorous screening process
that tests both the infant’s
and the mother’s blood. An
in-depth medical history is
also taken from the mother
and father to learn of any
blood or immune system
disorders or other prob
lems.
Travel to certain coun
tries, exposure to some
vaccines, illegal drug use,
high-risk sexual behavior,
a history of cancer on
either side of the family,
or the mother or father
being adopted are all fac
tors that may rule out cord
blood being accepted into
a public bank. Addition
ally, if the mother has
herpes, genital warts, or an
infection of the placenta
or amniotic fluid, the cord
blood probably will not
be collected, as it is more
likely that the blood may
carry an infection.
For more information, the
Patient Education Pamphlet
“Cord Blood Banking’’ is
available at www.acog.org/
publications/patient_educa-
tion.
Pay,
from page 4C
and can be drivers for
good performance. Kids
aren’t so different - many
likely need both intrinsic
and extrinsic rewards
to feel a full sense of
achievement.
If you decide to provide
rewards for school suc
cess, think about sitting
down with your kids
at the beginning of the
school year or semester
to agree about their goals
and the rewards they’re
eligible to receive.
When all is said and
done, of course, the deci
sion is personal. While
the Northwestern Mu
tual Foundation survey
showed that parents and
kids nationwide favor
report card rewards, the
results shouldn’t be seen
as a “one size fits all”
answer. Every child is
unique, so parents should
consider incentives that
work best for their family.
Here are some tips to
consider:
* Start by focusing on
what you will reward. Is
it focused on a specific
grade? Improvement?
Effort? An accomplish
ment? What is the time
line - the full school year
or will you offer quarterly
incentives?
* If you have more than
one child, do you have
different expectations
for each child? What you
expect for one child may
not be the same expecta
tions for a different child.
* Talk to your children.
Explain the expectations
and the rewards. If a
child understands what
is expected and what the
reward might be, he is far
more likely to work for
the reward.
* What kind of reward
are you negotiating? The
rewards may depend on
the child. If your family
does not eat out often,
and the child thinks a
restaurant is a big deal,
allowing the child to
choose a restaurant as a
reward might be a great
incentive. For other chil
dren, financial rewards
or prizes may be a better
choice. Choose a reward
that you are comfort
able with providing, and
that is appropriate for
the expectations and the
timeline.
* If your child receives
a weekly allowance,
consider a “bonus” for the
child. For example, if the
child receives a $5 per
week allowance, give her
an extra $5 as a one week
bonus. For older students,
you could consider a larg
er quarterly bonus. This
type of format is similar
to the way a bonus might
be provided in the “adult”
world.
The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, November 10, 2010, Page 5C
Submitted Photo
Lee County High School Ninth Grade Campus October Students of the Month
Front Row: Riley Garza, Jacasia Melvin, Alexis Biery, Mary Beth Gaylor, John Scott Okon.
Back Row: Kevin Brown, Troy Brown, Chris Hayes, Xavier Smith, JaCorry Riggins, Kavhoris
Ranson.
Submitted Photo
Lee County Primary School October Good Citizens for Kindergarten: (front row, left to right)
Christina Prowant, Megan Hendley, Lila Brittingham, Kennedy Phillips, Rylie Reynolds,
Kameron Magaddino. Back : Emily George, Nicholas Fabrizio, Tamera Ingram, Sydney
Snedden, Kameren Bell, Braydon Boone.
Submitted Photo
Lee County Primary School October Good Citizens for 1st Grade: (front row, left to right)
Hannah Brown, Laura Allen, Kaylie Willis, Emily Phillips, Colleen Barton. Back: Chloe Butts,
Joseph Frazier, Will Heyer, Luke Addison, Colby Thomas, Zachary Boxx.
Submitted Photo
Lee County Primary School October Good Citizens for 2nd grade: (front row, left to right)
Jayden Watts, Mia Austin, Sydney Kate Daughtry, Emma Charles Hancock, Ana Ranew. Back:
Cheyenne Huddleston, Laura Ware, Johnathan King, Logan Howard, Robert Stevenson.