Find the Best Cord Blood Banking in Tallahassee, FL

Is cord blood banking worth it?

Around 3,000 babies are born in the Tallahassee area every year — about 3 in 4 at Tallahassee Memorial’s Women’s Pavillion. Families with young children in Tallahassee live in neighborhoods such as Betton Hills, Killearn Estates and Southwood.

Some parents choose to collect and save or donate umbilical cord blood, which is rich in stem cells that can be used to treat dozens of different diseases, including:

Cord blood banking isn’t for everyone. When considering if cord blood banking is worth it in Tallahassee, here’s what to think about:

• Whether you have a family history of disease that can be treated with umbilical cord stem cell transplants, which makes you more likely to use the cord blood
• Cord blood banking cost, which is expensive for private cord blood banking
• Whether you have enough time to plan for cord blood banking, which requires signing up with a cord blood registry and coordinating plans with your health care team
• The cord blood banking company’s reputation and credentials, which must include registration with the Food and Drug Administration

Cord blood banking pros and cons

There are pros and cons of cord blood banking in Tallahassee.

How is cord blood stored?

Cord blood is stored in either a private cord blood bank or a public cord blood bank.

• A private cord blood bank charges families to collect, process and store cord blood in case you need it in the future. When you sign up, the cord blood banking company sends you a collection kit for hospital staff to collect the cord blood. A courier then picks up and transfers it to a lab for processing and storage.
• A public cord blood bank takes cord blood donations at no cost and makes the umbilical cord stem cells available to the public.

How much does cord blood banking cost in Tallahassee?

Private cord blood banking costs $3,500 - $5,000 total for 20 years of storage. This includes an initial fee of $1,500 - $2,000 for a collection kit, cord blood transport from the hospital to a lab and processing. It also includes annual storage fees of $150 - $200. Most companies have payment plans to make cord blood banking more affordable.

Some cord blood banking companies also store cord tissue and placental tissue stem cells, which researchers are studying for future use.

There is no cost to donate cord blood to a public cord blood bank. If you decide you want to donate, check with your health care provider; not all participate in public cord blood donation.

Who can use cord blood?

The donor, donor’s siblings, relatives and nonrelatives may be able to use a donor’s cord blood. Who can use cord blood depends on:

• Whether the cord blood is stored at a private or public cord blood bank
• The medical condition being treated
• Whether the patient is a genetic match with the donor
• The quality of the cord blood