About Blood Cord Banking

Certain illnesses, such as childhood cancer, immune system disorders and blood diseases, require chemotherapy and radiation treatments to destroy diseased cells. However, these treatments also destroy many healthy cells, including stem cells that are located in the bone marrow. Depending on the treatment, some children require a bone marrow transplant from a donor whose cells match their own. Because of the limitations on available donors, treatment can sometimes be dangerously delayed. Cord blood can often be used for siblings as well as the actual donor. For those with a history of disease that requires a stem cell transplant, banking cord blood would eliminate the need for a donor. For these reasons, some parents feel the benefits are worth the care and expense cord blood banking requires.

Collecting the cord blood after a vaginal delivery is fairly straightforward, involving using a needle to collect the cord blood before the placenta is delivered. Cord blood collection during a Cesarean birth is more complicated; the doctor's primary focus is the surgical concerns of the mother. Collection is not done until the baby is safely delivered and the mother's uterus is sutured. Less cord blood is generally collected when the delivery is by C-section, but it is still a viable option. After collection, the blood is placed in bags and sent by courier to the local cord-blood bank. The stem cells are separated and cryogenically stored.

Collecting and storing cord blood comes with some financial expense. There is an initial fee of several hundred dollars just for the collection kit that must be ordered before the delivery. A commercial cord-blood bank will generally charge between $1,000 and $2,000 to store a sample. In addition, you will be charged approximately $100 as a yearly maintenance fee. Depending on the blood bank you use, you may also be charged for the courier service as well as initial processing. Most insurance companies don't cover the expense of cord blood banking.

The main reason most parents choose to bank their infant's cord blood is in the event that they have a child or other relative with a history of disease who requires bone marrow transplants. For the average low-risk family, the American Academy of Pediatrics says "private storage of cord blood as 'biological insurance' is unwise. However, banking should be considered if there is a family member with a current or potential need to undergo a stem cell transplantation." There are certain other risk groups, such as children of ethnic or racial minorities, children conceived through in-vitro fertilization and adopted children, who are statistically more difficult to match to stem cell donors. Parents of these high-risk groups might be encouraged to consider cord blood banking as well. Although no accurate estimates exist, it isn't likely that the average baby will ever need her own cord blood. If you do choose to bank your child's cord blood, the blood bank you choose is crucial. Some important questions to consider: How experienced and financially stable is the facility? Do you have the option of switching to another facility, and what are the costs? What happens if the facility goes out of business? What are the yearly costs, and are they fixed? Is some sort of insurance offered in case something happens to the facility? You may also choose to donate your baby's cord blood at no cost to you. However, you will not be able to draw on that donation if your child ever needs it. Contact the Red Cross for more information about donation.

In theory, properly stored stem cells should last forever. However, the research into cord blood banking only dates to the 1970s. The maximum time for storage and the potential of stem cell uses is still being determined. Stem cells stored for more than a decade have been successfully used, but the lack of longevity research should be considered when making the decision to bank cord blood. Health risks to the mother and baby at the time of collection are fairly low, but there is still some risk. When the umbilical cord is clamped too soon after delivery, there is a chance of causing the baby lower blood volume, and subsequently, possible anemia after birth.