Private Cord Blood Companies for Storing Your Own Baby’s Cord Blood – How to Choose…

 

Although, the Cord Blood Donor Foundation does not make recommendations of private cord blood companies, we do receive many questions about cord blood companies and their variances in services and price.  We offer the following questions and information you should ask when shopping for a cord blood company.

 

 Private storage is very different from donation of cord blood.  The primary difference is donated cord blood stem cells are used for unrelated transplants and research from families that have "gifted away" their baby’s cord blood.  Private companies serve families that choose to bank their baby’s cord blood for their own family’s potential use, this is sometimes called, family banking.

 

Evaluating Price:

 

Be sure you know what you are paying for!  There can be a lot of variation between banks. There are a number of processing and storing methods that can cut costs, but not all procedures provide the best cell yield and viability, create "flexibility of use" or provide for the most security.  It is a specialized process.

 

Certain testing is required for family banks, which is not required for "autologous-only" banks.  Also look for testing of bacterial and fungal contamination when your stem cells arrive at the laboratory and again before they are stored to ensure the quality and integrity of their laboratory procedures.  Ask if they provide your cell counts after processing to ensure that your sample will be clinically useful.  Ask also if their banks’ data has been published, if not, why?

 

When evaluating cost, remember your goal: the highest volume of securely stored and viable stem cells.  A storage service that appears inexpensive may not perform the level of processing that another service does, or utilize the storage materials and equipment to ensure your stem cells are safe and viable if needed.

 

You pay for what you get.  Cord blood stem cells are unique and need to be handled properly or you may find out years later that you didn’t get what you thought you had.  This is one of the few things where you  can’t go back and do over again.

 

Questions to ask and answers you want:

 

1.     Does the company bank for "autologous" use and "family" use?

FDA guidelines require that specific types of testing be performed prior to storage to allow for use of your baby’s cord blood stem cells for other family members.  If the bank you choose doesn’t perform this testing then your stem cell sample is banked "autologously" – allowing use only for the child it was collected from and excludes other family members, such as siblings.  What you want to hear is, "We bank for autologous and family use".

 

2.  Is the bank Accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)?

Having AABB accreditation means the bank is accredited for the specialized processing of hematopoietic stem cells.  This means that the bank has had their laboratory and administrative procedures reviewed, inspected and validated and were found compliant with the guidelines established by AABB for the specialized processing of stem cells.  General accreditation is not sufficient.  If they are not accredited, forget them!

 

3.   What method(s) of collection do they use?

"Blood Bag gravity" collections may be somewhat easier for the physician but have some drawbacks.  Occasionally there can be a plug of tissue from the insertion the needle.  This is unavoidable and may prevent or limit a full collection. The plug is not easily identified or dislodged with a gravity bag collection.  

 

"Syringe" collections normally are more reliable and provide a larger volume of cord blood.  The physician can control the pressure of a syringe, and syringes are marked so they can see the amount of cord blood being collected.  Tissue plugs do not present a problem with syringes. 

 

Ask what their mean collection volume is!   Have they published their data?  An estimate of the national mean collection is around 70cc of cord blood.  However, the syringe method for collection has resulted in a mean collection volume of about 85cc.  Contamination rates are similar, less than 1-2%%.  Higher collection volumes result in more stem cells after processing, and that’s important.

 

Ask what their "successful" collection and storage rate is!  A study published in the Journal of Maternal/Fetal Medicine, in November 1998, over 50% of the collections performed using the "gravity blood bag" method (or blood bag method) were not clinically useful.  There were either too small, contained too few stem cells after processing, or were contaminated.  You want a reliable collection since you only have one chance to save these cells.

 

4.   Does the company have financial viability and stability?

The last thing you want to find out is that the company where you have your baby’s cord blood stored is going out of business.  How common is this?  Not very, but if it is the company that you have your baby’s cord blood stored at, it will be disturbing. Without a profit, they won’t be around for the long haul.  Do they have reputable auditors?  What is their track record for profitability?

 

5.   How many transplants have their samples been used for?  The bottom line!

The real proof of a company’s process and integrity of the cells is their successful use in creating a new blood and immune system in a patient.

 

Ask how many transplants have been successfully engrafted!  The average is 80%.  Better, is better!  If they haven’t done a number of successful transplants, there is no proof that their process works.  You want proof, look elsewhere.