Cord Blood Banking - Please help!!!

[anutalp]

I know that somebody already asked about it, but couldn't find the definite answer and also it was about half a year ago, so things change...
I need some help in choosing a bank for cord blood banking. I'm 36 weeks, first time mom, I know it's a little beat late but it's still possible. I'm choosing the option of private banking cause I don't want to blame myself in the future that there is something that I have'nt done for my child.
Please, if somebody has an experience with one of the existing banks, like CBR, Viacord, NE bank, Cryocell, corcell, etc
Which one is the most reliable? Any suggestions?
I really appreciate your help.
Ana.

[Momof3Labs]

I used CBR but Viacord seemed equally reputable. Make sure that the bank you choose is a tissue bank (a special designation) and has a transplant history!!

[anutalp]

Thank you so much for replying, I'm feeling lost with all that info and also my due date is in less than 4 weeks. It's so important.
Thanks,
Ana.

[HallsofVA]

We went with CBR, and they were super easy to deal with. They've changed their pricing where you don't get charged anything until they successfully receive and process your cord blood. You need to decide soon, though, because most places charge rush fees if you're less than 6 weeks away from your due date.

[Jennymarie]

Are you certain you want to do this? We were ready to jump on the bandwagon, since we have a family history of cancer (breast and colon). But I spoke to my mom's oncologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York (one of the top cancer treatment hosipitals in the world)and his opinion is that the whole thing is a rip off for most people because the treatment uses for cord blood are so limited.

Just food for thought.

[anutalp]

Already did it today! Registered with CBR.
I'm a physician myself (starting residency in July) and I've read a lot about it. I agree that there is a very limited experience with stem cells till now. But there are also tonns of ongoing research and you can never know what will be available in 3-5 years. You don't want to look back and to say why I didn't do it then. It's expensive but I'm ready to take that risk.
Thanks for reply,
Ana.

[kwc]

Ana,

I know you already registered with CBR but if you are still looking, we used California Cryobank (less $, no charge for "late or rush" registration, turned off by the hard sell of CBR and Viacord... other reasons). We actually did not register until I was 37 1/2 weeks because we could not decide whether or not to do it. I am also a doc (finished pediatric residency in 2002) but that probably pushed me against it, despite the horrors I'd seen in residency. Ultimately, my husband's risk averse nature, my family history of cancer, and the fact that our child is biracial (probably the most significant factor) won out.

A good resource for evaluating different banks is:
http://www.parentsguidecordblood.com/

We were pleased with the professionalism and service of California Cryobank. They do not have an extensive transplant history (previously just sperm bank!) but we were comfortable with the chain of storage and their "chairperson" is a head of Bone marrow at Cedars Sinai, near where I went to med school.
I would recommend using the medical courier service and not FedEX or UPS if CBR offers it.

FWIW, my cousin and his wife used CBR when their son was born in fall of 2002 and they were happy with them. My cousin was undergoing chemo and radiation for non-Hodgkins lymphoma at the time, so it was very important to them.

Karen

[anutalp]

Karen,
Thanks a lot for your comment.
Actually I got a very good price after they did a physician's discount for me. It's toatly manageable for us. CBR has a good reputation with 28 transplants and to my opinion it's the most important factor - it proofs that their methods are good and the cells stay viable. They're using med. courier Quick Int. w/o additional charge and they don't charge for rush delivery. Again, surpisingly I got a great price, my kit supposed to be here tomorrow.
Fortunately our family doesn't have a history of malignant diseases but both me and my DH decided to do it anyway.
Thanks for your advice,
Ana.