Private Cord Blood Banking

Once your baby is born, you have three options for the potentially lifesaving cord blood that is rich with stem cells:

1. Discard it.
2. Donate it to a public cord blood bank.
3. Store it in a private cord blood bank for your own family’s use.

Private Cord Blood Banking

A private cord blood bank will collect, process, freeze and store your baby’s cord blood for a fee. Private cord blood banking is a way for families to save their baby's cord blood exclusively for their family members.

If parents don’t know their baby’s medical background (for example, if the child was conceived via an egg donor or sperm donor), private cord blood banking provides them with a way to secure genetically-related stem cells.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends cord blood banking if an infant has a full sibling with a malignant or genetic condition treatable with cord blood transplantation (such as leukemia or sickle cell anemia); however a brother or sister only has a 25 percent chance of being a perfect genetic match.

In the future, there may be regenerative medicine advances that can repair the body with the patient's own stem cells. Children whose parents saved their cord blood will have better access to those treatments. Storing your baby’s cord blood in a private bank can give you peace of mind because you know that this valuable resource is there if you need it.

For a list of public cord blood banks and private cord blood banks, visit the Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Foundation, which actively maintains lists of cord blood banks.

Cost of Private Cord Blood Banking

Cord blood banking costs vary depending on which bank the parents choose. Typically, there are two fees involved in private cord blood banking:

1. An initial fee that includes enrollment, collection and storage for the first year
2. An annual storage fee

The initial fee for private cord blood banking is usually around $1,000 at an accredited private cord blood bank, but the range can be anywhere from $900 to $2,100. This initial fee typically includes an a processing fee, a fee for the storage kit, the retrieval of the cord blood after the birth, the courier service who takes the cord blood to the bank and the storage of cord blood for a set period of time, usually a year.

The annual storage fee is usually around $100, but can be as high as $150.

Many private cord blood banks offer prepaid plans at a discount or payment plans to make the initial storage more convenient you and your family.

The Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Foundation provides a list as a resource to parents examining the services and costs for private cord blood banks throughout the United States.