If you want to make an investment in the future of your family’s health, then you may have decided that, following the birth of your baby, you will have the cord blood stored for the use of your child or family in the future. The stem cells in your baby’s cord blood can be frozen and stored for many years, and could save the life of your child, yourself or another family member in years to come.

If this is the route you have decided to take then your first step is to find a suitable cord blood bank to facilitate the collection of the cord blood and to arrange testing and storage following the baby’s birth. There are a number of banks in operation, and you should consider your decision carefully before committing to any particular institution. If you have friends or family that have already gone through this procedure, it may be a good idea to ask around for advice and recommendations with regards to a suitable cord blood bank.

It is best to decide upon a suitable cord blood bank by around the second trimester, although you can still do this when you are in to the third. However, early preparation and research will increase your chances of finding the right cord blood bank in a timely manner, and will ensure that there is plenty of time for you to fully prepare and educate yourself. You should prepare a list of several banks in which you are interested, and don’t be afraid to contact them and ask them questions in order to determine which one best fits your needs.

You should check on the success rate of each cord blood bank you are considering, and ask about the number of successful transplants that have gone ahead using the blood that they have collected and stored. Price is another factor, and you should check on their enrollment fees as well as their annual storage fees. Also, check whether the cord blood samples are kept separately from other frozen samples, as this will decrease the risk of damage through exposure (cord blood stored with other types of frozen samples may be exposed to an increase in the number of time the freezer is opened and closed, thus will be at more risk from temperature changes).

Once you have selected the right cord blood bank for you, you will receive a collection kit, which must be taken to the hospital where you will be giving birth. It is important to speak to the hospital staff about your plans, as it is one of their medical team that will be collecting the cord blood from the umbilical cord and placenta following birth. Therefore, they will need to ensure that they have a suitably qualified person on hand to deal with it. Check with the cord blood bank that they offer a courier service to come and collect your cord blood sample from the hospital and take it to the cord blood bank.

One of the factors that make a big impact on many parents is the price of cord blood collection and storage. If you are donating your baby’s cord blood, then there is no charge for collection, enrollment or storage. However, if you are storing the cord blood sample for future use by your own family, then there are some charges, and these can differ dramatically from blood bank to blood bank.

Depending on which cord blood bank you decide to go with, the enrollment and collection fees can come to anything from six hundred dollars to nearly two thousand dollars. Many parents may naturally opt for the cheapest banks. However, the Cord Blood Donor Foundation has expressed concerns that the cord blood banks charging the lowest rates may be saving money by taking short cuts and not testing the blood samples for suitability.