When it comes to your umbilical cord blood, you have three options:

Pay for storing the baby’s cord blood with a private bank.

• Donate the cord blood of your child to a public bank.

• Discard the cord blood as medical waste.

• Cord blood is a reservoir of hematopoietic stem cells. Cord blood transplantation can help in the treatment of numerous diseases. Hence, these cells should be preserved with a stem cell bank.

Stem cell banks can be stored with a private bank or public cord blood bank. Private banks store the cord blood of your child exclusively for the use of your family. Also, they ensure the availability of these cells at the time and place of transplantation. Hence, storing your child’s cord blood with a private bank provides you with a level of assurance of their future availability.

Let us discuss a few other reasons for storing the cord blood of your child with a private bank.

1) It can be used in future treatments of your child.

At present, cord blood can be used in the treatment of eighty rare diseases. A family history of rare disease puts your child at a greater risk of ailment. However, for stem cell transfusion, the cells need to be a match for the receiver. Unmatched blood transfusion can cause severe complications, and finding a match through public cord blood banks is difficult.

Hence, it is essential to store the stem cells of your child with a private cord blood bank. Storing the cord blood of your child insures their future and aids in the fight against diseases. Some of these diseases include sickle cell anemia, leukemia, and different types of cancer.

As per the researchers, the coming decades can shed light on more benefits of these cells. Scientists also believe that cord blood can be helpful in the treatment of a few incurable diseases. Hence, storing cord blood with a private bank can have more benefits in the future.

2) The process is easy and convenient.

After you select a private cord blood bank for your child’s stem cell, the private bank makes all the arrangements and takes the burden off your shoulders. The cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord post-delivery after the umbilical cord is clipped and cut. Hence, the process is painless and non-invasive.

Also, it does not interfere with the pregnancy and delivery in any way. The private stem cell bank also takes the responsibility for testing, collection processing, and storage of the stem cell bank of your child.

3) The private stem cell bank ensures the availability of stem cells.

When you donate cord blood to a public bank, you no longer retain the ownership of such cells. On the other hand, a private stem cell bank stores the cord blood of your newborn on your behalf and can make it available as and when needed by you.

However, the bank requires you to make an upfront payment, as well as periodic charges for storing the stem cells. With a private cord blood bank of $19.99/month storing the stem cell of your child is easier and more affordable.

4) The stem cells are stored exclusively for your family.

With a private cord blood bank, the stem cells are stored for the exclusive use of your family. Hence, Stem cell banking can help the existing as well future members of the family.

Storing the stem cells of your child is especially recommended if you have a sick child who can benefit from the transfusion. Also, an immediate family member can receive the stem cell from a newborn’s cord blood.

5) It assures the viability of stem cells.

The private cord blood bank makes huge investments to maintain the adequate condition for the storage of stem cells. They also ensure that the cord blood does not lose its viability during transportation.

Hence, storing the cord blood of your child with a private bank provides you with a level of assurance in case of future medical emergencies.

These are some of the benefits of private cord blood banks that necessitate choosing them for your child’s cord blood.