After the birth of a baby, some blood remains in the umbilical cord and placenta. It is known as cord blood. The blood is of no use for the baby immediately after the birth but may prove beneficial for family members at later stages in cases of a bone marrow transplant. Public and private cord blood bank store frozen cord blood that can get used when a genetic match requires a transplant. In this article, we will discuss the pros, cons, and costs of cord blood banking. After reading, you can decide whether or not you want to have cord blood storage.

Advantages of Cord Blood Banking

Cord blood contains stem cells that are medically more useful than those from the bone marrow. Pros of cord blood are as follows:

• Receiving stem cells from cord blood is easier than receiving them from bone marrow. The person receiving the cord blood is not matched to the donor as closely in a bone marrow transplant.

• A person’s body is more likely to reject bone marrow than cord blood.

• Cancer patients can use stem cells from cord blood to support the immune system. You cannot use cells from bone marrow in this way.

• Collecting cord blood is a pain-free process. The donor is not at any risk.

• The newborn baby and the mother are not affected in any way by the process of collection. It is a quick process done immediately after the delivery. Whether you have a C-section or normal delivery, it is an uncomplicated process.

• The affordable cord blood bank $ 19.99/month that you choose will freeze and store the cord blood. Whenever a genetic match is in need, the blood will be readily available. A bone marrow transplant is much more complicated.

• You can donate cord blood to a public bank free of cost. This way, your donated blood will be available to everyone in need and can save others’ lives.

• You can donate in a private cord blood bank that will freeze and store the blood exclusively for your family members. If siblings or parents need stem cells in the future, you can easily have access to the stored blood.

Disadvantages of Cord Blood Banking

Some disadvantages of storing cord blood are as follows.

• Although the stem cells contained in cord blood are medically beneficial, they are present in small amounts. An adult undergoing a transplant will need multiple donors to fulfill the stem cells requirement.

• Public blood banks do not charge storage costs. You have to pay a minimal collection fee. But, this blood is not stored exclusively for you. Whenever a genetic match is in need, they can get cord blood. So if your family member needs stem cells in the future, you may not get access to the cord blood you have donated.

• Private banks store cord blood exclusively for your family. Only you get access to use it for your family members. However, the cost of collection and storage that they charge is very high.

• Everyone is not eligible and fit to donate cord blood.

Cost of banking

People can choose to donate cord blood either in private or public banks. Public banks collect blood to use for anyone in need. Donating blood here is free, however, they may charge a minimal collection fee. Cord blood from public banks gets used for allogeneic transplants through the cord blood stem cells to treat someone other than the donor. A good level of match between donor and receiver’s cells is required for an allogeneic transplant.

Private cord blood banks store blood exclusively for the child and her family. Storage is expensive and costs around $1500 to $2500. Other than this, annual fees of around $125 per annum get charged. Tools like collection kit, processing, and courier service to the blood bank will cost nearly a hundred dollars.