X-Message-Number: 9146
Date: Mon, 9 Feb 1998 23:46:40 -0800
From: Tim Freeman <>
Subject: Umbilical cord blood storage

At http://www.cordblood.com/ there's an ad for some folks who will
freeze and store umbilical cord blood from a newborn baby, speculating
that it will eventually be good for something.  A likely use is
repopulating a relative's bone marrow after it has been destroyed by
lukemia therapy, for instance.  The stored blood is ideal for the
donor, good but less ideal for close relatives.  Cost is about $1000
up front, $100 per year storage.

Seems like a similar gamble to cryonics, to me.  It's less extreme,
since the technology to use the cord blood already exists, and there
are no metaphysical questions to ask about personal identity.  As with
cryonics, there are issues about unproven technology (since they don't
mention that anybody has used cord blood from the bank yet), and as
with cryonics there is always the opportunity for people to feel bad
(or good!) about being selfish.

Any comments?  My wife Ailing will be giving birth to baby #2 in a few
months, so this is not a hypothetical proposition for us.
-- 
Tim Freeman       
            http://www.infoscreen.com/resume.html
Web-centered Java, Perl, and C++ programming in Silicon Valley or offsite

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