Cord Blood Stem Cell Banking – Why Do Parents Consider Banking of Stem Cells? By Apurva Shree

Cord blood stem cell collection is a necessary act, but not routine in delivery rooms. Expectant parents are recommended to plan for cord blood donation early since nearly 50% of the vaginal child deliveries take place before the scheduled date. In such cases, even the most enthusiast parents seem to lose the opportunity to preserve their child’s umbilical cord cells that contain life saving potential for their newborn baby or other members of families. Therefore, plan and contact an umbilical cord blood bank for storing the miraculous stem cells. It is suggested that the interested parents do some research themselves about the various options available for preserving their baby’s stem cells in a cord blood bank.

When To Contact A Cord Blood Bank

Medical practitioners advise yet-to-be parents to plan for cord blood stem cell banking as early as the fourth month of the pregnancy. Most of the parents decide to bank cord blood cells if they have a family history of a particular disease that is treatable by bone marrow transplant or have a family member who is ailing with one of the disease that suggest bone marrow transplant treatment. The mother has to undergo special medical tests to ensure that she is eligible for the donation. In addition, she has to sign a consent form.

Cord Blood Stem Cells – Why?

Though bone marrow transplants have been successful in a number of diseases, rare availability of stem cells leave patients yearning for the cells for a prolonged period of time. One of the major reasons why parents, today opt for cord blood preservation, is that if the need arises, the patient does not have to wait for a matching donor. This is more true for the patients who belong to an ethic minority group. With approvals granted by FDA two decades ago, cord blood cell industry is booming with huge developments of public and private banks. Families, who have not stored their own babies’ stem cells in a private cord blood bank, still are likely to find a genetically matched stem cell sample from a public cord blood bank. Besides, research has proved that umbilical cord stem cells are more versatile compared to the ones extracted from bone marrow.

Costs Of Banking Cord Blood Stem Cells

There are different types of cord blood banks. There are public banks and also private banks which are classified as non-profit private banks and profit oriented banks respectively. The payment schemes devised by the cord blood banks vary. Usually, cord blood stem cell banking comes with a payment package that sum up fees for enrollment information, collection kits, courier charges, banks laboratory, sample typing, processiong, storing and maintenance of the cord blood units.

Private banks charge nearly $1,500 to $2,000 to make the samples available to the families to counter illnesses that require re-growth of the cells. Some banks do not charge until and unless the donated samples are tested and proved to be worth of being stored. The charges are comparively less if you decide to donate the umbilical cord blood for research purposes. If the umbilical cord blood storage is provided for 15 to 20 years of period, several banks offer pre-paying plan that entails a one-time payment with discounts, which are more economical than annual payment schemes. Cord blood banks also entertain credit card payments. Non-profit cord blood banks offer free cord blood banking programs. Though economical payment plans are alluring, however, it is the efficiency of the banks that should be taken into account before choosing a bank for cord blood stem cell banking.