Cost Of Cord Blood Banking

Cord blood banking is a revolutionary way to save stem cells from your baby’s umbilical cord. It could be a life changing opportunity for you and your family. Although the cost of cord blood banking can be a little steep, it is quite worth it.

Stems cells are the building blocks of the human body and can be used to treat a wide variety of life-threatening diseases such as leukemia, sickle cell disease, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and many more. Your baby isn’t the only one that can benefit from stem cells, even your other kids or family members can benefit.

There are two types of cord blood banking, private and public. Cord blood stem cells stored in public cord banks can be accessed by anyone in need while that of a private cord bank can only be accessed by the donor or his/her relatives.

The Cost of Cord Blood Banking Has Two Components

The cost of cord blood banking can be divided into two segments. You only have to pay once for the first segment which involves sample collection, removal of red blood cells, screening for any infections, the addition of cryopreservatives and initial storage.

The second segment, similar to a maintenance fee, is the cost of storing the stem cells in liquid nitrogen at about 96°C annually. Depending on the provider you choose, the cost ranges from $600 to $6000 for the first segment and $90 to $120 a year for the second segment.

The first segment may be expensive but you can think of it as a biological insurance for your relatives and even your descendants. Even a slight match with a relative’s stem cell has a good chance of a successful transplant. Although stem cells may not be beneficial for genetic problems within your gene pool, there a lot of disease that it can be used for.

It is up to you to choose the service provider and how much you are willing to spend for the cost of cord blood banking. The more expensive providers claim that they provide more screening; on the other hand, low cost cord banking service providers claim to achieve lower operating profit margins. Research about which service provider you want but be sure to make up your mind before the 28th week of pregnancy. Everything will need to be ready before the baby’s birth.

The benefits that stem cell cryopreservation provides have attracted a lot of interests from scientists and have been the subject of numerous studies all over the world. More and more are being discovered about the use of stem cells and cord blood banking is a huge opportunity to make a difference in your family’s life. Don’t let this opportunity go to waste. The monetary cost of cord blood banking is much less valuable compared to your loved ones’ life.