| Questions | Private cord blood banking | Donation to the public bank |
|---|---|---|
| Why store cord blood? | You ensure your child has quick and exclusive access to haematopoietic stem cells if they ever need them. | Donating cord blood is a humane deed. By doing this you can help patients in need of blood-forming stem cells from a donor. |
| What are the restrictions for cord blood storage? | Nearly every family can decide on private storage. Cord blood isn´t collected where the mother suffered a serious infection during the pregnancy. | The donor mother must undergo a selection process based on certain criteria dictated by legislation and the requirements of transplant centres. |
| What happens to cord blood after collection? | After collection, the cord blood of your child is processed and cryopreserved for future use. | Suitable cord blood is selected for international exchange, where it is available for patients anywhere in the world. Rejected cord blood (about 70%) can be used for research or is destroyed. |
| What are my rights to the stored cord blood? | The child has full and exclusive rights to its cord blood. | Donated cord blood is in the ownership of the public cord blood bank. The parents have no guarantee that it will be available for their child if it is needed. |
| How much does it cost? | The parents make a single payment for the collection and processing and a yearly payment for storage. | There is no payment by parents if cord blood is donated. All costs are paid for by the cord blood bank. |
| Do the parents pay extra if cord blood is to be used for treatment? | No. In the case of standard umbilical cord blood treatment, parents do not pay additional costs. Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a treatment paid for by insurance companies. | The parents don´t pay any additional cost when cord blood is used for haematopoietic stem cells transplantation; the procedure is covered by health insurance. |
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