question about cord blood banking

veggie0420 · December 2014

we didn't do this with my son, but now that im pregnant again with the twins, we are looking into it. have alot of you done this or will do it? other than the cost, are there any disadvantages? thanks!

kefttsc · December 2014

I have done quite a bit of research, as my mom asked for the twins' cord blood for Christmas. Odd request, huh! She has MS and has had cancer twice, so she truly believes the cord blood may be able to help her in the future.

My SIL has worked in L&D for 30 years and says that a lot of people choose to donate cord blood to a public bank, but not that many choose private banking.

I was given three company names from my OB. If you ask your doctor, I'm sure he/she will have suggestions on what company they prefer. Mine prefers ViaCord, so that is what I researched. He prefers it because he feels it is the most stable company.

First, in our case, our twins are boy/girl fraternal, so my mom's neurologist recommended that if it was financially possible, we save the cord blood of BOTH babies. That way mom (and other family members) have the choice of TWO if there is a need.

A few things to consider that I discovered during my research:

1. If Baby A is diagnosed later in life with leukemia, it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that their OWN cord blood will be chosen to use because their blood will have markers for leukemia, so would not "cure" them.

2. The odds of needing the cord blood at 1 in 2700. This is of course for families that do not currently have any existing diseases as we do in my case.

3. It should be considered who the blood belongs to when it comes to making decisions when to use it. You as the parent(s)? The babies themselves since it is their blood? In my case, does it belong to my own parents since THEY are paying for it? (In our case, we have decided that the decisions belong to me and DH as the parents until the babies are 18 and then they are allowed to decide when it is used should it be needed.)

4. Costs that I found. ViaCord charges $1,200 for collection for one baby and it is $175 a year. For twins, it is $2,200 for collection and $350 a year. The website says the yearly storage fee is guaranteed not to increase for 20 (25?) years.

I also did a lot of research on other sites.

Here is a simply pro/con article from WebMD. The basic gist of it is that the chance of needing it doesn't warrant the cost.

https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/features/banking-your-babys-cord-blood

ViaCord's website:

https://www.viacord.com/

American Congress of OB and Gyn stand on it:

https://www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Umbilical-Cord-Blood-Banking

American Academy of Family Physicians:

https://www.aafp.org/afp/2011/0915/p661.html

Hope this helps some!

Rynleigh · December 2014

Most major medical advisers still consider cord blood banking unwise in multiple births... nearly all organizations that claim it is successful are the same companies selling the service. There generally aren't enough stem cells obtained from a multiples birth to meet the minimum for banking, and the risk of the blood from one cord being contaminated with the blood and tissue from the other is high.. public banks refuse to accept cord blood donations from multiples deliveries, for these reasons. If there is a known risk for disease warranting the effort and potential risk of contamination, then it is definitely worth it - but for the average family with no preexisting conditions, it's just a money maker.

https://bethematch.org/support-the-cause/donate-cord-blood/cord-blood-faqs/

kefttsc · December 2014

@Rynleigh I'm not be argumentative because I really honestly don't know, so please don't take it like that, but I wonder why all of the companies, including public donor registries, would offer twin options if it shouldn't be done in twins. I read the FAQs on that site and found them very interesting.

Like you said, in my case, we have a family need already, but even full siblings only have a 25% chance of matching. Odds aren't great, but in my case, the finances aren't up to me, so it's easy.

Interesting topic

veggie0420 · December 2014

Thanks everyone! Apparently I still have alot to think about

Rynleigh · December 2014

kefttsc said:

@Rynleigh I'm not be argumentative because I really honestly don't know, so please don't take it like that, but I wonder why all of the companies, including public donor registries, would offer twin options if it shouldn't be done in twins. I read the FAQs on that site and found them very interesting.

Like you said, in my case, we have a family need already, but even full siblings only have a 25% chance of matching. Odds aren't great, but in my case, the finances aren't up to me, so it's easy.

Interesting topic

Have you found a public bank that accepts twin cord donation? Every instance when I looked into it with my boys said that they absolutely will not - both online and by phone. These websites all say the same:

https://bethematch.org/support-the-cause/donate-cord-blood/cord-blood-faqs/

"Q. Can I donate if I’m having twins?

A. No, public cord blood banks can only accept donations when one baby is expected. With twins, each umbilical cord has different tissue types and it’s possible the two cord blood units could be mixed up during collection."

https://www.babycenter.com/0_donating-cord-blood-to-a-public-bank_1356495.bc

"It's a multiple birth: Public banks have a policy of not accepting donations from twins and other multiples, for various reasons. Multiples are typically smaller and don't have enough umbilical cord blood for adult transplants. And complications in multiple births can make collecting cord blood more difficult. There's even concern that the two different cords might get confused. If you're pregnant with multiples, it's worth noting that private banks are willing to collect cord blood from multiples, and some offer a discount by charging only one enrollment fee."

https://ccbb.duke.edu/faqs

"Q: Are twins or multiples eligible to donate?

A: No, public banks cannot accept donations if you are having twins. Tissue types are used to match a cord blood unit to a patient, and there could be a possibility of mixing or confusing the tissue types of the two umbilical cords."

https://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/diagnosing-cancer/tests-and-procedures/donating-umbilical-cord-blood

"All other medical conditions and medications you are presently taking must be evaluated by the cord blood bank. Mothers who are expecting twins may not be able to donate, since there are typically not enough stem cells recovered from the umbilical cord that are useful in transplantation."

Long story short, you can pay to have your twin's blood banked for use by your family, but you cannot donate it for use for other families.

chickaboo1974 · December 2014

I was told by our hospital that they do not accept cord blood from multiples for donation, if you had a company and were paying for it, they would do the collection.

minirella · December 2014

CBR will bank twin cord blood. I know cause they got my contact info from a registry and called me and emailed me many many times even after I told them we were not interested.

hollyberries65 · December 2014

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hollyberries65 · December 2014

SPAM @hollyberries65‌ please refrain from spamming the boards. Refer to the Terms of Use.

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