The process of banking cord blood consists of collecting, or harvesting, and storing the blood from a newborn’s umbilical cord. This cord connects from the fetus’ belly button to the mother’s placenta during pregnancy. The cord’s main purpose is to deliver much-needed nutrients to the fetus. If you, like most parents, want to do everything to safeguard your child’s future health, cord blood banking is an excellent idea.
During cord blood banking, approximately three ounces, or 80 milliliters, of blood are collected. Banking arrangements must be in place well-before the birth because the blood has to be collected within the first 15 minutes of the newborn’s birth. This process does not pose any risk to the baby.
Once the blood is collected, it will be tested for a variety of diseases. In the event a disease is present, the cord blood bank will contact you. If the blood passes all testing, it will be slowly frozen until it reaches -196 degrees Celsius, or -321 Fahrenheit. As long as the proper temperature is maintained, this blood can be used anytime. Each cord bank has several back-up power sources to protect the blood when an electricity outage occurs.
Private cord blood banks do cost money. If you do not have the money to harvest and bank your baby’s umbilical cord blood, it can be donated. This act is completely free and can help save a life. Otherwise, your newborn’s blood will simply be thrown away, which will not help your family or a stranger.
On average, private umbilical cord banks charge anywhere from $1,500-$2,500 USD to set-up an account. Afterward, the bank will charge a yearly storage fee ranging from $100-$150 USD. There are some pubic cord banks that will set aside a portion of your newborn’s blood and put the rest of the blood in the general, public pool.
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