Cord blood banks are increasing your options by the day as they increase in number, scope and the types of services they have on offer. It has therefore become increasingly important to understand what cord blood banks are, the options they give you, and how can one make the best use of the blood samples they store.

Let us start with a simple cord blood bank comparison. Broadly speaking, there are two types of cord blood banks – public cord blood banks and private cord blood banks. They key difference between them is simple – the public bank will accept adonation of cord blood and will store it safely for use by anyone who is in need of the transplant and who matches a particular sample.
Since only a small percentage of people will ever really need a stem cell transplant in their lives, the bank grows if there are generous donations from mothers. Thus there is a large possibility (but not a certainty) that should a person require a stem cell transplant, there would be a public cord blood bank that would have a sample that matches. The search for matching samples has become easier in recent times because all public banks now display their data on a web site.
There are people who are not comfortable with the idea of donating the cord blood of their baby to another person. Such persons are strongly encouraged to give the cord blood to the public bank but specify that it can only be used for research.
The second class of cord blood banks is the private bank. This bank performs a private service for users who would like to be sure that the cord blood of their baby is kept available for the personal use of their family should the need ever arise. Of course, there is a payment involved. The facilities to store the cord blood in liquid nitrogen are not cheap. Nevertheless, many people look at this as a form of a medical insurance.
When you select a private cord blood banks, it pays to make a cord blood bank comparison to determine which the best option for you is. Many banks offer you a number of options as far as payments go. There are discounts for siblings and for committing early. However, we’d like to caution you not to base your decision on costs alone.
Any commitment to a private cod blood bank is for 18 to 20 years. You want to be sure that the bank you select will be viable for that time. Look for the type of infrastructure the private cord blood banks has, the profitability and the track record of successful transplants. After all, if you decide to base your long-term health on this decision, would you not like to be sure of the cord blood bank you choose?