Cord Blood Banking (2024)

FAQs

Do doctors recommend cord blood banking? ›

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics don't recommend routine cord blood storage. The groups say private banks should be used only when there's a sibling with a medical condition who could benefit from the stem cells.

According to Cell Trials Data, a provider of data on clinical trials of advances cell therapy, cord blood banking rates are highest in the US, at 3% of births each year.

Choices for storing cord blood

After collection, the blood is sent to the facility of your choice, where it will be processed and then frozen in storage. No one is certain how long cord blood lasts. Some experts believe it can be stored for 21 years or more.

Typically the umbilical cord and placenta are discarded after your baby is born—unless you decide otherwise. You can choose to have your baby's cord blood collected and donated to a public cord blood bank, stored in a family (private) cord blood bank, or saved for a biological sibling who has a diagnosed medical need.

Umbilical cord blood is a very good source of stem cells, and these blood stem cells are useful in the treatment of many blood disorders and cancers. T​he placenta, umbilical cord and the blood within it are very important in pregnancy. However, the blood serves no purpose after delivery if discarded.

Public banks are subject to much higher regulatory requirements, and compliance with regulations carries costs. At a family bank you pay the bank enough to cover the cost of storing your baby's cord blood, plus they make a profit.

How does umbilical cord blood help save lives? Umbilical cord blood contains blood-forming stem cells, which can renew themselves and differentiate into other types of cells. Stem cells are used in transplants for patients with cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.

Nonetheless, collection and storage of cord blood raise ethical concerns with regard to patient safety, autonomy, and potential for conflict of interest. In addition, storage of umbilical cord blood in private as opposed to public banks can raise concerns about access to cord blood for transplantation.

Some insurance providers will cover the cost of cord blood banking when collection is medically necessary. For example, depending on the provider, families with a history of leukemia or other blood disorders may be eligible for total or partial coverage of the costs of cord blood collection and storage.

What do hospitals do with placenta after birth? ›

Do Hospitals Keep Placentas? Hospitals treat placentas as medical waste or biohazard material. The newborn placenta is placed in a biohazard bag for storage. Some hospitals keep the placenta for a period of time in case the need arises to send it to pathology for further analysis.

Cord blood banking may be tax deductible under certain circ*mstances. If your child or family member has a medical condition with an immediate need for an FDA approved treatment with cord blood, the cost of collection, processing, and storage may be tax deductible.

Cord blood stem cells are superior to bone marrow stem cells in terms of risks of rejection, contamination, and infection. They also outperform bone marrow in their ability to replace cells damaged or deceased from chemotherapy or radiation treatments. Cord blood has a lower risk of graft-vs-host disease (GVHD).

Cord blood is rich in blood-forming cells that can be used in transplants for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and many other life-threatening diseases. It can be especially useful for transplant patients from ethnically diverse backgrounds who often have difficulty finding a transplant match.

Nonetheless, collection and storage of cord blood raise ethical concerns with regard to patient safety, autonomy, and potential for conflict of interest. In addition, storage of umbilical cord blood in private as opposed to public banks can raise concerns about access to cord blood for transplantation.

Cord blood banking may be tax deductible under certain circ*mstances. If your child or family member has a medical condition with an immediate need for an FDA approved treatment with cord blood, the cost of collection, processing, and storage may be tax deductible.

If parents choose to store their infant's cord blood in a private bank, a collec- tion fee that ranges from $900 to $2000 and an annual storage fee of approximately $90 to $150 may be required. Fees vary between private banks. How do we decide whether to donate?

Some insurance providers will cover the cost of cord blood banking when collection is medically necessary. For example, depending on the provider, families with a history of leukemia or other blood disorders may be eligible for total or partial coverage of the costs of cord blood collection and storage.