When communicating with patients about cord blood preservation for families, it's important to take a balanced approach. There are simply no guarantees.

Stem cells from cord blood have been proven to cure diseases today, and the future possibilities are extraordinary. Cord blood preservation is for the whole family, not just the baby. It's entirely possible that there could be enough stem cells captured from a single patient to treat a teenager or a full grown adult. In most instances today, the volume of stem cells from a single cord is sufficient for patients weighing 20 kilograms or less.

Family preservation provides ready access to stem cells, offering a much better likelihood of a successful match, while reducing the possibility of graft vs. host disease.

Donating the newborn baby's cord blood to a public preservation facility is also a good option to consider. Before making this recommendation to patients, be sure there is a public facility in your area that's staffed to accommodate your needs.

Cord blood preservation is literally a once in a lifetime opportunity - an opportunity your patients will appreciate learning about, regardless of the decision they make.