5 Reasons to Choose Private Cord Blood Banks vs. Public Donation

Almost every day it feels like we hear more news about how stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood are saving people’s lives from potentially life-threatening illnesses. 

For expectant parents, the decision to collect and preserve their newborn’s umbilical cord blood after birth is an important decision. The potential that cord blood stem cells have in helping to treat certain diseases and disorders has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years.

Families that wish to prepare their child and their family from diseases down the road should look closely at cord blood banking as invaluable protection for their family. Cord blood stem cells have increasingly been researched and utilized to treat cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, and other conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism, as well as immune, metabolic and blood disorders.

Once the obvious decision is made to go ahead and collect and store your child’s cord blood, you face a second choice. Your child’s cord blood can be collected and preserved for life by a private cord blood bank like MiracleCord, or it can be collected and donated to a public bank.

Here are five reasons why private cord blood banking is your best option:

Your Child’s Stem Cells Will Be Available To Your Family

Stem cells harvested from umbilical cord blood have proven to be beneficial in the treatment of many diseases and conditions, but certain risks such as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) can occur when the stem cells are not a suitable match to the patient. 

However, one of the major advantages to cord blood stem cells is that they only have to be a partial match to work. Your child’s cord blood will be a perfect match for the child that they come from and they have a high probability of being at least a partial match to immediate family members, so banking your baby’s cord blood can provide protection against certain diseases for your family. 

You Own the Rights to Your Banked Cord Blood 

When you choose a private cord blood bank to collect and store your child’s cord blood, you are in the driver’s seat. You own the rights to these stem cells and they will only be used for your family. 

With public banks, you relinquish the rights to your child’s cord blood entirely; the samples may be sold to private researchers, used on another patient or sadly, discarded entirely as is the case with up to 80% of publicly donated cord blood samples.

New treatments are continually being developed and new therapies continue to emerge through rigorous research, so it is wise to use a private cord blood bank to ensure your child and your family have these valuable stem cells at your disposal for future use.

Your Banked Cord Blood Is Ready At the Moment You Need It

Having your sample stored at a private cord blood bank means it’s ready for use in the event of a diagnosis that requires quick treatment. Trying to go through public cord blood bank can mean waiting for several months to search for a match, and ultimately, there may not be a match available. 

Also, the average cost to search for a match in a public bank, and retrieve the samples if a match can be found, is over $50,000.

With over 80 diseases being treated with cord blood, it makes good sense to have it stored in case you need it later. Many people look at it as biological insurance for their family, which brings them peace of mind.

Some Private Cord Blood Banks Offer Value-Added Services

In the event a transplant is needed, it’s important to know your sample has been treated with the utmost care. Some private cord blood banks such as MiracleCord offer services like their TimeCritical® Processing and AXP® Automated Processing System to maximize the viability of your sample.

Some private cord blood banks also ensure that your child's stem cell will be viable when needed by offering an engraftment guarantee. MiracleCord has a $100,000 guarantee in the event your cord blood transplant does not successfully engraftment.

New Stem Cell Treatments Emerge Each Year

Even with the many uses for cord blood stem cells already in place, we are still in its early stages. New research and treatments involving its use are constantly being explored. There are over 5,200 clinical trials initiated, including treatment for Type 1 diabetes, autism and cerebral palsy, to name just a few.

With over 80 therapies already approved by the FDA, and the promising potential for future treatments, having your baby’s cord blood stem cells stored now is a great way to protect your family’s healthy future.

DISCLAIMER: THE INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED TO BE USED AS MEDICAL ADVICE.The materials and information contained on the MiracleCord website is provided for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended to, and does not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis, and should not be used as such. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. If you are seeking personal medical advice, you should consult with a licensed physician. Always consult with a qualified health care provider regarding a medical condition.