Cord blood banks are institutions that facilitate collection, testing, processing and preservation of cord blood. Cord blood had been discovered to be rich in stem cells. Stem cells are precursor cells that replenishes supply of blood cells. It has been used to tread problems like leukemia and other cancers. Studies have also been made that it can be used for treatment of stroke, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes type 1 and still a lot more to be added in the list. Stem cells in the cord blood are also known to have less problems with compatibility or host rejection.
If you are a pregnant woman and you decide to donate your baby’s cord blood, cord blood banks are available to facilitate the process. They will be there on your delivery in order to collect the cord blood right after the umbilical cord of your baby is cut. The collected cord blood will be brought to the laboratory to undergo several tests and processing. After which it will be cryopreserved and will be made available for those who need cord blood transfusion.
There are two types of cord blood banks. There’s a public and a private blood bank. A public blood bank is a non-profit oriented institution. They are often initiated by local government agencies like the Department of Health. When you donate cord blood through a public cord blood bank, they will not charge you any amount. But the cord blood you have donated will be made available to anyone who will need it. So if your intention of donating cord blood is for the future use of your child or a relative, the public cord blood bank is not the one you should call.
There are also the private cord blood banks. They will facilitate the collection, testing, processing and cryopreservation of your cord blood for a fee. An approximate cost of $2,000 for initial processing and a $125 per year for preservation will be charged. Those who call on private cord blood banks are those who may need their own cord blood for future use. This is in cases where the baby has a known genetic condition like leukemia, cancer, diabetes type 1 and other regenerative disorders that may require autologous transfusion. Private cord blood banks operate as a profit oriented institution and thus fees are collected to sustain the business.