Important Patient Information Regarding CORD BLOOD COLLECTION

Cord blood is rich in stem cells and may be useful to families in the treatment of certain medical diseases that might befall them during their lifetime. It is important that all obstetrical patients are fully informed about the option and its associated expenses so that they can make decisions that are appropriate for their individual families.

Currently, there are two options available for cord blood collection: public and private.
Public banking involves the donation of the cord blood, free of charge. The cord blood would then be available for anyone to use. The National Cord Blood Program oversees the cord blood stored and provides a searchable database for physicians who care for patients with diseases amenable to cord blood therapy.

More information on this program can be found at www.nationalcordbloodprogram.org.

With private banking, the cord blood is stored for possible future use by the child, a sibling, or other family member. This involves an initial processing fee followed by annual maintenance fees. Private companies require a contract signed by the mother in advance of the infant’s delivery. The likelihood of the cord blood actually being used within the family given the current technologic treatments is remote (ACOG Technical Bulletin 2009), unless there is an affected family member at the time of collection.

There are several companies that provide cord blood banking. Two of the largest companies are Viacord and CBR. The physicians at Maternal Fetal Medicine Associates do not endorse any particular firm over another. Some companies reimburse us directly for each patient who signs up for private cord blood collection. This reimbursed amount is currently placed in a separate account and is used to support our research endeavors.

Whether a patient chooses to bank cord blood, whether to donate to the public bank or store with a private company, and which company to use, is completely up to the patient. However, we believe every expectant family should make an informed decision about this option. Patients should also feel free to discuss this option with one of the physicians at the time of their prenatal visits.

Furthermore, patients need to be aware that private cord blood banking is not covered by insurance. If patients choose to bank their baby’s blood with a private company they will be responsible for two separate fees; one charged by the physicians for cord blood collection at the time of delivery, and fees charged by the cord blood banks for storage.

The fees charged by private cord blood banks for storage vary widely among the various companies.
For more information on the topic of Cord Blood Collection, please refer to the March of Dimes Fact Sheet: Umbilical Cord Blood

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