Not Aviation but Medical and need some advice

[G-SPOTs Lost]

The Wife and I are around 3 weeks away from having twins :{ in all serious we're both delighted as you would imagine.

I've been researching umbilical stem cell recovery and cord storage and have managed to get my head around the potential benefits.

Im seeking advice as the quotation I received at the beginning of the pregnancy has changed significantly.

In essence the stem cell and cord tissue recovery is £3.5K for both kids and includes storage for 25 years.

So taking into account the ongoing research and the fact that possible treatments will aledgedly expand massively over the next 25 year viable period of the cells my questions are:

1. As Medical Professionals.....would you invest £3.5k of your hard earned into the whole process, i.e. worthwhile or bunkum?

2. What treatments are viable now and what "blue sky" treatments are being murmured about in medical circles now which may be relevant for my children in the future?

Its a lot of money and being the salesman's dream I am, I've convinced myself its the right course of action, I rationalise this by imagining myself being asked by a doctor in an Accident & Emergency unit if I have the childrens stem cells available and for the sake of £3.5k now having to say "No" then!

Saving up for some private education is another option and £3.5k would get this pot of to a nice start..

Comments or links to (even more!) further reading would be most welcomed.

Thanks in advance

[cavortingcheetah]

Can't help you on the medical side of things but these days £3,500 will buy you about a third of a term for one at Eton. (The fees for an Oppidan are £9,994 a half = a term. There are three terms in a year.) Your £3,500 would cover your twins' registration and entry fees at this year's prices. I'm not meaning to be rude because I think it's quite a lot of money but the sum involved doesn't go far in private education. Eton is by no means an extreme example either.
I hope you get some response from the forum medical contributors. It's an interesting topic and would I be correct in saying that the chances of abuse are considerable and that it might also matter where and with whom the samples were stored?
Best of luck to you anyway and congratulations in advance.

[gingernut]

WOW!

Know nothing at all about the subject, but would be tempted to spend the three and a half grand on two pairs of walking boots, a decent tent, and time off to spend with them. If you can afford it then go for it.



Its a lot of money and being the salesman's dream I am, I've convinced myself its the right course of action, I rationalise this by imagining myself being asked by a doctor in an Accident & Emergency unit if I have the childrens stem cells available and for the sake of £3.5k now having to say "No" then!


It'd be worth asking A&E consultants if they've invested.



And congratulations by the way.:)

[obgraham]

Speaking as an Ob-Gyn, I think these cord blood storage schemes are 95% scam. You pay a lot of money for an unknown product. Odds of actually needing the sample are very low. To date, few if any folks have been treated for any disease by their own stored cord blood. It is true, nobody knows what the future might hold in this field. What is certain, is that the companies prey on your guilt feelings, but that most of your cash will go as a sales commission or "expenses" for a service that you cannot verify.

Why not donate your cord samples to a public donor bank. Used in research and treatment now, and available to anyone who needs it and qualifies, though admittedly not the donor.

Just my opinion. It's entirely possible that in the future my opinion might turn out to have been the wrong one.

Graham, MD

[etrang]

stem cell and cord tissue recovery is £3.5K for both kids

Are they identical twins? If so the price shouldn't be any higher than for a single child.

Also, do you have any history of genetic disorders in your family?

[G-SPOTs Lost]

Many thanks for all the replies so far, twins are non identical, obgraham may I ask where you are in the world? I wouldn't go as far as a scam but its fair to say the benefits are unproven at the moment

Its a difficult decision, lord knows I could find 3 and a half thousand reasons not to bother but its affordable to us just (by no means easily), but Obviously you have to be in it to win it, whilst its not practical to compare stem cell research with say ....mobile phones, 10 years make a huge difference to most technologies and I'd hate to be wishing I had done it in 10 years time.

Admittedly its a little bit of a leap of faith and the comments regarding the cost of private education are most enlightening and really put things into perspective.

Please keep the comments coming its very interesting to have your thoughts

[cavortingcheetah]

I thought that science could recreate a T Rex from a fossil DNA sample or a prehistoric fly from a fly corpse in a piece of agate? So why can't you buy a commercial super deep freeze and store your own stuff at home in the cellar.
Perhaps that's a totally fatuous question but isn't that the bottom line?

[obgraham]

USA, G-spot. There are a number of cord banking outfits here.

I cant disagree with your thinking. Just realize you are investing in an unknown.

I have personal knowledge, however, of your real problem. My twins are now 33 years old. You'll soon be on the path to pulling out what few hairs you might still have! Best wishes to you and Mrs Spot!

Graham

[Pentathlete]

G-Spot: "CONGRATULATIONS!! Now:
I'm not a medic but work as advisor in emerging medical fields so will give you my knowledge from there...

1. Agree with Cheetah re schools. Circa 30k base price pa for relatively decent schools, or £3.5k will get your child 50 piano lessons!
2. Agree with etrang: what is the likelihood of need over and above the norm!?
3. Where do you live? If in UK (assuming UK as you wrote 'A+E' not 'ER"!) it won't necessarily matter you have access to your childs 'UC' as it is ethically challenged for medics to use at present, even IF they felt it would help.
4. I don't know any medics myself who have opted to do this for their children and I work alongside many of the finest in the UK.
5. DNA sequencing/manipulation is where the smart money is at the moment. Next ten to 20 years on that probably a better bet. If anything: I'd suggest you invest the (total) £7k in a company that runs research into DNA, OR in a company looking at geriatric healthcare (where MOST focus will soon be). That way, in a few years, not only will you have the money for private schooling, you'll also be able to afford the best treatments available should the worst come to the worst!
6. If you really do want to use this method: I agree with OBGraham. Plus, if the twins are identical then they could use each others' and get around the non own use rule!

Hope this helps and doesn't sound negative. :ok:

[homonculus]

Dont

There are no proven benefits that I know of, merely the possibility that new techniques may be developed. In fact this area of research, especially in terms of cancer care, has gone in a different direction to that expected only a few years ago.

Then of course there is the problem that the condition your children may develop wont be the one for which the stem cells can be used. Multiply one very small fraction by another very small fraction and you realise the chances of your money being well spend are infintesimal

Finally be very careful about who is storing the cells and how. Is it regulated by CQC? What happens if the company goes bust? what guarantee is there the cells will be viable? And what guarantee is there that the future doctor will accept them - he has to abide by the regulators which demand we only use products / cells / drugs which are approved or supplied by recognised organisations