Where should You Bank Baby’s Cord Blood?

Umbilical Cord Blood Banking Comparison

Most parents who are pondering on the idea of banking their unborn baby’s umbilical cord must do a cord blood banking comparison before finally deciding where to avail of umbilical cord blood banking services. As there are options for parents, it is best to do a cord blood banking comparison so as to determine where it is best to bank the baby’s cord blood. This article provides cord blood banking comparison to help parents make a wiser decision when storing and preserving their child’s cord blood.
Public Cord Blood Banking and Private Cord Blood Banking

A baby’s cord blood can be stored and preserved in either a public cord blood bank via cord blood donation; or in a private cord blood bank. While both cord blood banks process, store and preserve umbilical cord bloods, terms of their services and the cord blood banking costs may vary.

Public cord blood banks do not generally charge fees for their umbilical cord blood banking services. However, cord bloods stored in these public banks are generally considered as donated cord bloods. Moreover, parents who donate cord bloods to public cord blood banks are not guaranteed that the baby’s umbilical cord blood will be stored. Those whose cord bloods are stored are also less likely to be able to retrieve them for their own use in the future.

Private cord blood banks basically store a baby’s cord blood for possible personal use in the future. Unlike in public cord blood banks, these private cord blood banking firms give its clients option to retrieve the stored cord blood in the future. This option however is at a price since most private cord blood banks charge high cord blood banking price. Average price of private cord blood banks starts at around 2000 dollars for the first year alone.

Is Paying for Private Cord Blood Banking Worth the Price?
The American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT) estimates that there is less than 1% chance that a child will use his own cord blood in the future. Many doctors advice parents to invest on private cord blood banking only if a member of the family has a condition that can be potentially treated by cord blood transplant.

Doing a cord blood banking comparison before deciding where to bank your child’s cord blood may give you an informed choice when making a decision to bank you child’s cord blood. Compare the pros and cons of either storing your child’s cord blood in a private bank or donating your child’s cord blood.