ViaCord Blog | ViaCord (2024)

FAQs

What is the success rate of ViaCord? ›

ViaCord is the only bank to process and store stem cells from both cord blood and cord tissue in a 5-compartment bag. ViaCord is the only family bank to publish short and long-term survival rates – 88% at 1 year.

A recent study published in Stem Cell Translational Medicine (Sep 2023) found cryopreserving cord blood stem cells for extended periods (27 years in this case!) doesn't affect their ability to function effectively. This adds to a growing body of research demonstrating the value of cord blood banking.

Our lab is FDA registered, CLIA certified, AABB (American Association of Blood Banks) Accredited for processing and storing newborn stem cells from both cord blood and cord tissue, and we follow best practices and guidelines provided by the AABB, FDA, and CLIA.

Your baby's cord blood could be used by someone who needs a stem cell transplant to save their life. Private blood banking can help someone in your family if they need a stem cell transplant. Banking cord blood doesn't affect you or your baby at all. It doesn't impact labor or delivery.

Some disadvantages of cord blood banking include the following: Cord blood does not contain many stem cells, which means that adults needing a transplant will require cord blood stem cells from multiple donors. People have to pay a fee for storing cord blood in a private bank, which could prove costly.

Doctors do not recommend that you bank cord blood on the slight chance that your baby will need stem cells someday. If your baby were to need stem cells, he or she would probably need stem cells from someone else rather than his or her own stem cells.

It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help protect your family's long-term health. Cord blood stem cells are genetically unique and are a 100% match for the same child. These stem cells may also be a match for siblings and other family members. Cord blood stem cells hold the power to cure over 80 diseases.

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.

How much is the cancellation fee for ViaCord? ›

The change or cancellation fee is $150.

Our Origins: ViaCord was established in 1993 to give expectant parents an opportunity to bank their children's cord blood with comfort and security.

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.

Around 5 percent of parents choose to bank their baby's cord blood publicly or privately. Learn about the different cord blood centers and options you can consider before delivery.

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.

Results: Among 78 recipients of cord blood from related donors, the Kaplan-Meier estimate of survival at one year was 63 percent. Younger age, lower weight, transplants from HLA-identical donors, and cytomegalovirus-negative serologic results in the recipient were favorable prognostic factors.

Umbilical blood cord stem cell injections are effective in treating: back pain, knee injuries, knee pain, osteoarthritis, tendon/ligament/cartilage tears and sports injuries, muscle tears, arthritis, golfer's elbow, tennis elbow, joint injuries, hip pain, shoulder pain, rotator cuff injury, carpal tunnel syndrome, ...

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.

The chance that a child would be able to use his or her own cord blood is extremely small: from a 1:400 to a 1:200,000 chance over the child's lifetime. Another important consideration for autologous use is that, currently, it is unknown how long umbilical cord blood will maintain its usefulness while frozen.