Cord blood banking. Anyone doing this?

ColoRxGirl · October 2010

Sorry - stupid Bump search feature gave me nothing. Anyone else considering this? Which company did you choose and why?

From my research it looks like the main players (ViaCord, CBR, and Cyro-cell) have all been around a while and do the same thing. Prices are quite different, though.

TIA!

vallefm · October 2010

We are donating to a public bank. Cord blood banking is really expensive. Plus, it does have enough data IMO to do. A public bank gives the saved cord blood a better chance at being benefical.

LIBride6-16-07 · October 2010

Our hospital doesn't donate cord blood. I asked my OB and I forget why but for some reason they aren't capable of it. OP, what did you find the difference was price wise? I haven't researched prices on all of them. Who do you think you will go with if you do plan on banking? So far I have spoken mostly to the ViaCord rep my OB recommended. CBR calls me too much and it's gettting annoying.

KatieC06 · October 2010

We were going to do it, but upon further research we decided against it. Alot of the diseases that are advertised to be treated are genetic and cannot be treated with ones own cord blood. It would work better with a sibling's blood. Also, cord blood donated to public banks is available for public use. It is also not recommended by the American Association of Pediatrics. They say it's a rip off. Many OB practices get kick-backs for pushing banking.

IamMrs.C · October 2010

Probably not. From I have heard, it is not nearly as beneficial as the marketing makes it looks. If I really thought our baby'/family would derive any benefit from it, I would do it no matter what the cost (well, within reason). But it seems like the chance of benefitting from it is about nill.

Tallistar · October 2010

We are donating the blood.

Cozfijibride · October 2010

KatieSings:
We were going to do it, but upon further research we decided against it. Alot of the diseases that are advertised to be treated are genetic and cannot be treated with ones own cord blood. It would work better with a sibling's blood. Also, cord blood donated to public banks is available for public use. It is also not recommended by the American Association of Pediatrics. They say it's a rip off. Many OB practices get kick-backs for pushing banking.

this

xche · October 2010

Donating for sure,,,

Soap1 · October 2010

KatieSings:
We were going to do it, but upon further research we decided against it. Alot of the diseases that are advertised to be treated are genetic and cannot be treated with ones own cord blood. It would work better with a sibling's blood. Also, cord blood donated to public banks is available for public use. It is also not recommended by the American Association of Pediatrics. They say it's a rip off. Many OB practices get kick-backs for pushing banking.

Yep!

dehsignz · October 2010

We are doing it, I just signed up last week and I have my kit ready for the hospital bag. Yes I understand the arguments of expense and small percentage that you will actually need it and yes the marketing is pretty hard driven. But what made us decide to go for it was in the small far off chance we did need it I couldn't live with the knowledge that we had passed up the opportunity.

So hopefully it will be a waste of money and sit in their storage and never be used - I am ok with that. However if by some chance our child does get sick and it can save their life then that will be the best thing ever to know we have that safety net.

We went with Pacificord, a local company out here in Southern CA.

It is too bad though that not all hospitals donate to the public banks, I think that should change.

mkeatts · October 2010

KatieSings:
We were going to do it, but upon further research we decided against it. Alot of the diseases that are advertised to be treated are genetic and cannot be treated with ones own cord blood. It would work better with a sibling's blood. Also, cord blood donated to public banks is available for public use. It is also not recommended by the American Association of Pediatrics. They say it's a rip off. Many OB practices get kick-backs for pushing banking.

This exactly.

mrsschrager · October 2010

No.. we were going to donate but I was rejected due to previous hellp syndome and plasma transfusions with ds.

SnoopyLuv · October 2010

If donating to a public bank weren't so damn difficult I would definitely do it. My OB also didn't seem enthused about helping me do it anyhow so it's one less thing to stress with.

I'm glad to see not many people have been duped into doing it. When we met with a few pediatricians and asked about it, their answers were all a resounding no because right now there is NO USE for the blood. Also the sibling issue is moot for us so I'm happy with our decision not to waste money on the 1% chance something could be helped by banking it.

bhylleng · October 2010

dehsignz:

We are doing it, I just signed up last week and I have my kit ready for the hospital bag. Yes I understand the arguments of expense and small percentage that you will actually need it and yes the marketing is pretty hard driven. But what made us decide to go for it was in the small far off chance we did need it I couldn't live with the knowledge that we had passed up the opportunity.

So hopefully it will be a waste of money and sit in their storage and never be used - I am ok with that. However if by some chance our child does get sick and it can save their life then that will be the best thing ever to know we have that safety net.

We went with Pacificord, a local company out here in Southern CA.

It is too bad though that not all hospitals donate to the public banks, I think that should change.

Agree. I couldn't live with myself it the baby or its sibling could have used it.

MaggieGrace · October 2010

dehsignz:

We are doing it, I just signed up last week and I have my kit ready for the hospital bag. Yes I understand the arguments of expense and small percentage that you will actually need it and yes the marketing is pretty hard driven. But what made us decide to go for it was in the small far off chance we did need it I couldn't live with the knowledge that we had passed up the opportunity.

So hopefully it will be a waste of money and sit in their storage and never be used - I am ok with that. However if by some chance our child does get sick and it can save their life then that will be the best thing ever to know we have that safety net.

I couldn't agree more. There are uses for it, although the chances that a child will need it are very, very, slim. We can afford it. I couldn't take the risk that there would be a match in a public bank if we needed it. I'll have three kids, and will have banked blood from two of them, so each will have at least one sibling whose blood can help them.

8yearslater · October 2010

We wanted to donate to a public bank, but our hospital isn't participating in the public bank's program because the patients aren't diverse enough. Only hospitals in very urban areas are participating right now. Apparently, out here, the public cord banks are overrun with donations from European-descent, same-race babies. The need is for donations from racial minorities and mixed-race babies. For some reason, these groups are weird about donating. (So if you have any friends who are mixed race and/or minorities, remind them about this!)

We almost did the private banking, based on the literature from the cord bank. Then I read up on it, and I felt so manipulated, I was angry. As others have said, the donated blood isn't for your baby, it's for other people in your family! The literature makes it sound like you're a bad parent by not ensuring your child's long-term health. Such dishonest, emotionally-charged propaganda needs to be replaced with truthful disclosures about how the cells can be used.

Also, did you know that with at least one of the biggest private banks, there are fees to have the cord blood delivered to the treating hospital? I asked the administration: "After spending $12,000+ on collection and storage, what happens if I need this? Are there more charges?" Yes, there are. A "courier fee" the price of which they wouldn't quote. Oh, and the initial term of storage is 18 years. After that, the contract has to be renewed. They wouldn't tell me the terms of the contract extension, either.

No thanks.

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Cord blood banking. Anyone doing this?

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