Millions of pregnant women get the pitch through their OB-GYN: Put a bit of your newborns umbilical cord on ice, as a biological insurance policy. If your child one day faces cancer, diabetes or even autism, the precious stem cells in the cord blood could become a tailor-made cure.
Many families are happy to pay for the assurance of a healthy future. More than 2 million umbilical cord samples sit in a handful of suburban warehouses across the country. Its a lucrative business, with companies charging several thousand dollars upfront plus hundreds more every year thereafter. The industry has grown rapidly, bolstered by investments from medical device companies, hospital partnerships and endorsements from celebrities such as Drew Barrymore and Chrissy Teigen.
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Johnson banked her sons cord blood with ViaCord in 2014 and learned years later the cells were infected with E. coli. (Rebecca Noble/The New York Times) kAm%H@ @7 E96 3:8 32? kAmx? y2?F2CJ[ :?DA64E@CD 7C@> E96 u@@5 2?5 sCF8 p5>:?:DEC2E:@? 7@F?5 EC@F3=:?8 D:8?D @7 324E6C:2= 8C@HE9 2E rq#D D@=6 H2C69@FD6[ 😕 %F4D@?[ pC:K@?2] #6G:6H:?8 C64@C5D 8@:?8 324< E@ a_`g[ E96J C6A@CE65 324E6C:2 :? 2 DFAA@D65=J DE6C:=6 AC@46DD:?8 2C62[ 2D H6== 2D =62 kAmy6??2 t5H2C5D[ 2 9:89 D49@@= 25>:?:DEC2E:G6 2DD:DE2?E 😕 !2C<=2?5[ u=@C:52[ DA6?E >@C6 E92? Sb[___ DE@C:?8 96C D@?D 4@C5 3=@@5 2E ':2r@C5D 32?< @FED:56 r:?4:??2E:] (96? D96 EC:65 :? a_`f E@ H:E95C2H E96 46==D 7@C 2 4=:?:42= EC:2= E@ EC62E 96C D@?D 46C63C2= A2=DJ[ D96 =62C?65 E92E E96 4@>A2?J 925 7@F?5 324E6C:2 😕 E96 D2>A=6 H:E9:? H66 kAm%96J H6C6 E@E2==J 7:?6 H:E9 4@?E:?F:?8 E@ 32?< :E 2?5 E2<:?8 @FC >@?6J[ t5H2C5D D2:5]k^Am kAm$96 E6C>:?2E65 E96 4@?EC24E] qFE 2DDF>:?8 E96 4@?E2>:?2E:@? 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E9C66 H66 kAmw:D EC2?DA=2?E H2D C62==J AC@@7 E92E E96C6 2C6 3=@@5 DE6> 46==D 😕 4@C5 3=@@5[ D2:5 sC] y@2??6 zFCEK36C8[ @?6 @7 E96 sF<6 5@4E@CD 2?5 ?@H 2 =625:?8 6IA6CE :? E96 7:6=5 2?5 rCJ@r6==D >65:42= 5:C64E@C]k^Am kAm~?46 :?7FD65 :?E@ 2 A2E:6?ED 3=@@5[ 4@C5 3=@@5 DE6> 46==D 7:?5 E96:C H2J E@ E96 3@?6 >2CC@H 2?5 368:? AC@5F4:?8 ?6H 3=@@5 46==D[ >2<:?8 E96> 2 A@H6C7F= EC62E>6?E H96? A2:C65 H:E9 496>@E96C2AJ 7@C 3=@@5 5:D62D6D =:<6 D:4<=6 46== 2?6>:2 2?5 =6F<6>:2]k^Am kAm$F3D6BF6?E EC2?DA=2?ED C6G62=65 E92E 2 D:4< A2E:6?E 4@F=5 C646:G6 4@C5 3=@@5 7C@> 2? F?C6=2E65 5@?@C[ 2? 25G2?E286 6DA64:2==J 7@C 6E9?:4 >:?@C:E:6D H9@ 925 EC@F3=6 7:?5:?8 :>>F?@=@8:42= >2E496D]k^Am kAmr@C5 3=@@5 32? Anna Lazos at her home in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., on June 27, 2024. After spending thousands of dollars on cord blood storage, Lazos asked to withdraw a sample to enroll her son in an autism clinical trial. The company told her that the cells were contaminated with E. coli. 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Jenna Edwards with her son at home in Parkland, Fla., on June 24, 2024. When Edwards tried in 2017 to withdraw her sons cord blood cells for a clinical trial to treat his cerebral palsy, she learned that the company had found bacteria in the sample, but still charged her for the next two years. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/The New York Times) kAm(:E9 4@C5 EC2?DA=2?ED 5CJ:?8 FA[ AF3=:4 32? kAm!C:G2E6=J 32?<65 4@C5 3=@@5 AC@G65 6G6? =6DD >65:42==J FD67F=] x7 2 49:=5 56G6=@A65 =6F<6>:2[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ 96C @H? DE6> 46==D H@F=5 36 86?6E:42==J AC65:DA@D65 E@ 364@>6 42?46C@FD]k^Am kAmkDEC@?8m!2J:?8 s@4E@CD 2?5 r6=63C:E:6Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am kAm(96? $E24J $62G6C H2D 2 D2=6D C6AC6D6?E2E:G6 7@C rq#[ 7C@> a_`g E@ a_`h[ 96C 3:886DE 4=:6?E H2D }@CE9D:56 w@DA:E2= 😕 pE=2?E2[ H9:49 D2JD :E 56=:G6CD >@C6 323:6D E92? 2?J @E96C 😕 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D] $96 DE@4<65 4@==64E:@? <:ED :? DFAA=J C@@>D 2?5 C68F=2C=J 3C@F89E E96 @3DE6EC:4:2?D =F?49]k^Am kAm(92E E96 9@DA:E2= 5:5?E E6== A2C6?EDi rq# A2:5 E96 5@4E@CD 23@FE Sad_ 7@C 6G6CJ 323JD D2>A=6 E96J 4@==64E65]k^Am kAmp== E9C66 @7 E96 =2C86DE 4@C5 3=@@5 32? kAm%96 32? kAm|FCC2J[ E96 ':2r@C5 DA@<6DA6CD@?[ 2?5 !@CE?@J[ E96 9625 @7 rCJ@r6==[ D2:5 E92E A9JD:4:2?D D9@F=5 36 C6:>3FCD65 7@C E96:C E:>6] rq# 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ BF6DE:@?D 23@FE 5@4E@C A2J>6?ED]k^Am kAm}@CE9D:56 5:C64E65 BF6DE:@?D 23@FE A2J>6?ED E@ sC] y677C6J |2C4FD[ E96 49:67 >65:42= @77:46C @7 pE=2?E2 (@>6?D w62=E9 vC@FA[ H9:49 56=:G6CD 323:6D 2E }@CE9D:56] w6 D2:5 E92E 4@==64E:?8 E96 4@C5 E2<6D =6DD E92? 7:G6 >:?FE6D]k^Am kAm*@F AFE 2 ?665=6 😕 E96 4@C5[ J@F E:6 :E @77[ J@F 7:== @FE @?6 A:646 @7 A2A6C 2?5 J@F >2<6 S`d_ @C Sa__[ 96 D2:5] xED G:CEF2==J ?@ H@C<]k^Am kAm%96 32? kAmt249 >@?E9[ rq# 9@DED H63:?2CD 7@C AC68?2?E H@>6?[ AC@G:5:?8 2 Sad 8:7E 42C5 7@C 2EE6?52?46] p =23@C 2?5 56=:G6CJ ?FCD6 😕 ~C2?86 r@F?EJ[ r2=:7@C?:2[ =65 @?6 DF49 AC6D6?E2E:@? 😕 |2J E92E E96 %:>6D @3D6CG65] $96 E@=5 E96 8C@FA D96 7:CDE 8@E :?E6C6DE65 😕 DE6> 46==D 3642FD6 96C 49:=5 925 2FE:D>] %96 4@?5:E:@? 😀 ?@E =:76E9C62E6?:?8[ D96 243F=2?46 5C:G6CD[ EC2G6=:?8 E9C@F89 E96 3@5J E@ 96=A DAFC 962=:?8]k^Am kAmsF<6 &?:G6CD:EJ 42CC:65 @FE 2 4=:?:42= EC:2= @7 4@C5 3=@@5 7@C 2FE:D>[ 3FE :E 5:5 ?@E D9@H :>AC@G6>6?ED 😕 D@4:2=:K2E:@? D<:==D] %96C6 2C6 ?@ usp2AAC@G65 DE6> 46== EC62E>6?ED 7@C 2FE:D>]k^Am kAmq:==J #FDD6==[ H9@ H@C<65 :? rq#D 4FDE@>6C DFAA@CE 7C@> a_`h E@ a_a`[ D2:5 E96 D2=6D E62> C@FE:?6=J E@FE65 E96 A@DD:3:=:E:6D @7 FD:?8 DE6> 46==D 7@C 2FE:D>] qFE H96? 4FDE@>6CD 2D<65 E@ H:E95C2H E96:C D2>A=6D 7@C F?2AAC@G65 2FE:D> EC62E>6?ED[ 96 925 E@ E6== E96> E92E H2D?E A@DD:3=6] W%96 4@>A2?J C6=62D6D 46==D @?=J 7@C EC2?DA=2?ED @C 4=:?:42= EC:2=D 2AAC@G65 3J E96 usp]Xk^Am kAm%96J H6C6 AC@>:D65 E96:C DE6> 46== DE@C286 H@F=5 36 E9:D >:C24=6 >65:4:?6[ 2?5 E92E H@F?5 FA ?@E 36:?8 ECF6[ 96 D2:5]k^Am kAm{2DE J62C[ rq# DE2CE65 2 D@4:2= >65:2 2?5 E6=6G:D:@? 42>A2:8? H:E9 r9C:DDJ %6:86?[ 2 >@56= H:E9 ca >:==:@? x?DE28C2> 7@==@H6CD H9@ @7E6? D92C6D 23@FE 96C 49:=5C6? 2?5 AC68?2?4:6D] %92E 42>A2:8? 3C@F89E 😕 >@C6 E92? d[g__ ?6H 4FDE@>6CD 2?5 Se]e >:==:@? 😕 C6G6?F6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2? 6?ECJ DF3>:EE65 7@C 2 >2C<6E:?8 2H2C5]k^Am kAm%9@D6 DE6> 46==D 42? 36 FD65 E@ EC62E @G6C g_ 5:776C6?E 4@?5:E:@?D[ %6:86? D2:5 @? %96 z6==J r=2C kAm(96? 2D<65 7@C 2 4:E2E:@? 7@C E96 g_ 4@?5:E:@?D[ 2 rq# C6AC6D6?E2E:G6 A@:?E65 E@ 2 DEF5J[ H9:49 4:E65 2?@E96C DEF5J[ H9:49 4:E65 2 =:DE @7 >@DE=J 3=@@5 2?5 :>>F?6 5:D62D6D 4@>A:=65 3J 2 ?@?AC@7:E @C82?:K2E:@?[ !2C6?ED vF:56 E@ r@C5 q=@@5 u@F?52E:@?]k^Am kAmuC2?46D '6CE6C[ E96 8C@FAD 7@F?56C 2?5 E96 2FE9@C @7 E96 =:DE[ D2:5 E92E >@DE @7 E96 4@?5:E:@?D H6C6 6I4665:?8=J C2C6] (92ED >@C6[ D96 :?4=F565 5:D62D6D E92E E96 usp 2==@H65 E@ 36 EC62E65 H:E9 G2C:@FD EJA6D @7 DE6> 46==D ?@E ?646DD2C:=J 7C@> 4@C5 3=@@5]k^Am kAm%96 >2C<6E:?8 :D 9JA6[ '6CE6C D2:5] p?5 J6E[ D96 :D DE:== 9@A67F= E96 E649?@=@8J H:== 364@>6 FD67F=] u@C 564256D D96 92D A2:5 E@ DE@C6 E96 4@C5 3=@@5 @7 96C @H? 25F=E 49:=5C6? 2?5 8C2?549:=5C6?]k^Am kAm%9:D 2CE:4=6 @C:8:?2==J 2AA62C65 😕 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?JE:>6D]4@>^a_ac^_f^`d^962=E9^4@C53=@@5DE@C2864@?E2>:?2E:@?]9E>=Qm%96 }6H *@C< %:>6Dk^2m]k^Am Read more from the original source:
Cord Blood Banks Sold Families on False Hope - myheraldreview.com
