Umbilical cord blood holds hematopoietic stem cells that treat blood and immune diseases. Public banks accept free donations and list units on registries for unrelated transplants; private banks store units for family use for a fee. Enroll before delivery, check accreditation (AABB/FACT), and ask about policies on delayed cord clamping and costs.
Why cord blood matters
Umbilical cord blood contains hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells. These cells can treat blood and immune system conditions, including leukemia, lymphoma, some inherited metabolic disorders, and sickle cell disease. Cord tissue also contains cells (often called mesenchymal stromal cells) that are the subject of ongoing research but are not yet routine therapy.
Public vs. private banks
Public cord blood banks accept donations at no cost to the donor and make units available for unrelated transplants through registries such as Be The Match. Donated units may also support approved research. Private (family) banks store your baby's cord blood for exclusive family use; they charge collection and annual storage fees.
Professional organizations generally recommend public donation when possible, reserving private storage for families with an existing medical need (for example, a sibling with a disease treatable by stem cells).
What the process looks like
If you plan to donate or preserve cord blood, arrange this before delivery. Most public banks ask to be notified during pregnancy so paperwork and logistics are in place; many recommend enrollment by the third trimester. At delivery, after the baby is born and the cord is clamped, trained personnel collect the cord blood. The sample is then transported to the bank for testing, processing, and storage.
Costs and logistics
Public banks cover donor costs, but processing and long-term storage are expensive for banks. Private banking typically involves an initial enrollment and collection fee plus annual storage charges. Typical private bank initial fees and public bank processing costs are often in the low thousands of dollars, with annual private storage fees in the low hundreds.
If you plan delayed cord clamping (recommended by many obstetric groups for newborn health), tell the bank early: delayed clamping reduces the volume of cord blood available for collection and some banks have specific policies about it. 1
Safety, accreditation, and matching
Cord blood units used for transplant undergo donor testing, infectious disease screening, and quality testing. Look for banks accredited by recognized bodies (for example, AABB or FACT) and listed on national registries so units can be found for unrelated patients. 2
Making the decision
Talk with your obstetric provider and the cord blood bank options in your region. If a family member has a condition that could benefit from a sibling's cord blood, private banking may be appropriate. Otherwise, many experts encourage considering public donation as a way to expand available, matched units for patients in need.
- Confirm typical private cord blood bank initial fees and annual storage ranges (current 2025 market rates).
- Verify public bank processing and storage costs commonly incurred by banks per unit (exact ranges).
- Check latest professional guidance wording (ACOG or similar) regarding preference for public donation vs. private banking.
- Confirm common bank policies on delayed cord clamping and whether banks accept units collected after delayed clamping.