Essential Cord Blood Banking Options for New Parents

Discover top cord blood banking services in the U.S. with accredited private and public options. Learn how storing cord blood can provide life-saving treatment opportunities for various conditions. Explore leading providers, storage options, and resources to make informed decisions for your baby's health.

Top Providers for Cord Blood Storage

Stem cells collected from umbilical cord blood play a crucial role in treating illnesses like certain cancers, blood diseases, and immune system failures. Conditions such as leukemia, aplastic anemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma can potentially be treated with these cells. Many blood banks in the U.S. are dedicated to preserving cord blood to support future medical interventions.

More than one million cord blood units are stored across family banks nationwide. The Be The Match Registry holds over 225,000 donated units, and global collaborations provide access to over 700,000 units.

About five percent of new parents choose to bank their baby’s umbilical cord blood. Of these, roughly 90% opt for private banks, while around 10% donate to public facilities. Notable private providers like Cryo-Cell, Viacord, and Cord Blood Registry have been operating since the early 1990s and are AABB-accredited. Cryo-Cell is located in Oldsmar, Florida; Viacord in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Cord Blood Registry in San Bruno, California.

Another key private option is Lifebank USA in Cedar Knolls, New Jersey, also accredited by the AABB. They provide free storage services for umbilical cord and placental blood. Placental stem cells can transform into tissues such as bone, cartilage, and fat, while cord blood stem cells give rise to diverse blood cell types. Resources like parents.com, bioinformant.com, and aabb.org offer comparisons and lists of cord blood banks to assist families in choosing the best option.

Storing cord blood offers a reliable way for families to preserve stem cell-rich blood for potential future treatments.