Cord blood storage is the cryogenically (freezing in liquid nitrogen) of umbilical or adult cord blood and storing the blood at either a public or private blood bank. Those that choose a private blood bank consider this, in a sense, as similar to insurance: setting aside a perfect match of blood cells should their child, or immediate member of the family (if a matching blood type), should need a transfusion or bone marrow transplant in the future.

Similarly, many expecting parents see placental and cord blood storage, the storing of the blood forming stem cells from the placenta and the child’s umbilical cord blood, as a biological option that could one day save the lives of their children.

Cord Blood Registry services can be cost effective for many families. Cord Blood Storage firms charge around $100 dollars a year in addition to start up fees that average around $1000. When taking into account the fees from several Cord Blood Registry firms, you can expect to pay around $3800 to store an umbilical cord until a child reached adulthood.

There are some free Cord Blood Storage resources available, such as the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute which offers a Sibling Donor Cord Blood Program that allow families to store their infant’s cord blood in the event of a transplant-treatable disease. If your child is able to pass the pre-screening process, the program has been highly regarded and is an excellent, free alternative to private a Cord Blood Registry.

Cord blood storage, whether done through a private or commercial bank, may give your family a sense of security and/or satisfaction in giving to another through donation.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 12th, 2008 at 8:20 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.