Searching for cord blood
banking information.

Bank or donate?

With stem cell research being such a hot topic you may think that cord blood banking information is easy to find. Searching on the Internet will undoubtedly turn up information that will help you on your search. There are obviously several things you have to look for and it is important that you know all the facts before you jump head long into selecting a company and making a decision on what you want to do. The first thing you should decide is whether you want to bank the cord blood or donate it to a public blood cord bank so that further umbilical cord research can be carried out.

Banking cord blood means that the blood will be reserved solely for the use of your children or other family members. This will cost you approximately $1500 for the initial payment followed by regular annual payments of $100. On the other hand, donating cord blood means that the blood can be used by anyone who requires it, or it can even be used for further research into the possibilities that stem cell transplants hold.

There is no cost associated with the donation of cord blood whatsoever and if the need arises for a family member to have a transfusion then you can contact the public storage bank that have your blood and you can ask them for it back. If they still have it then there is a very good chance they will run the appropriate tests and release it to the hospital where the transfusion is die to take place. In this instant the costs associated would usually be levied against the insurer of the person who is ill.

Selecting a company.

There are a number of different companies that can store your blood one way or another. All use cryogenic storage and all store your blood, testing it when the time arrives for potency and viability if the blood is not for the person it originally came from. If you choose to bank the blood for your family's use then you will need to use a private storage facility and the charge usually mounts up to a total of about $3000 over 15 years. However, if you decide to donate the cord blood then you will need to use a public cord blood bank. This obviously means that you may not necessarily be able to access your baby's cord blood in the event that it is required for your baby or any other family member.

Further decisions.

If you can't find a hospital in your local area advertising cord blood banking information then you should contact local hospitals, private hospitals and university hospitals. Many of these types of organization will be willing to accept donations and may be able to inform you of companies that will deal with the banking of cord blood for you. If you have a choice of companies then make sure you are making the right choice for you and that they can do everything you might need them to.

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