Find the Best Cord Blood Banking in Buffalo, NY

Is cord blood banking worth it?

Cord blood banking is becoming an increasingly common practice for Buffalo residents. With around 230,000 babies born in New York state each year, more and more people are looking to preserve stem-cell-rich umbilical cord blood and tissue.

Growing families in neighborhoods like Elmwood Strip, Williamsville and Eggertsville often choose to store umbilical cord blood or tissue, allowing them to use the stem cells inside to treat serious illnesses.

Some of the illnesses treatable with cord blood include:

• Leukemia
• Lymphoma
• Sickle cell anemia
• Immune disorders
• Metabolic disorders

In fact, cord blood can treat as many as 70 diseases, possibly providing you with a safety net if you or your family fall ill.

Cord blood banking pros and cons

There are some pros and cons to storing cord blood, as shown below:

How is cord blood stored?

If you choose to have your cord blood banked in Buffalo, your obstetrician or a hospital staff member will collect the umbilical cord blood and tissue after the birth of your child.

The cord blood is then cryogenically frozen in a special facility to preserve it until you have use of it. At that time, it can be thawed out and used in any number of medical treatments.

You can choose to store your cord blood in a public or private bank in Buffalo.

• Public cord blood banks are free to use, but your cord blood is considered a donation and is no longer owned by your family. It can be used by anyone in need, as long as they have a matching blood type. This storage method is altruistic and greatly helps those in need in the Buffalo area.
• If you want to save the cord blood until your family needs it, you'll need to work with a private cord blood bank in Buffalo. This usually requires an upfront fee and a monthly storage fee. One of the downsides of this method is that your cord blood may be wasted and thrown away if you never need it.

Both public and private banks must be licensed to collect blood in New York. All umbilical cord blood banks are required to register with the Food and Drug Administration’s blood bank directory as well.

How much does cord blood banking cost?

The initial, one-time cost of cord blood banking in Buffalo ranges from $1,500 to $4,000. This covers the cost of transport, processing and testing and can often be paid in monthly installments to keep costs low.

There's usually an annual storage fee of around $200 as well. Sometimes these fees are included in your initial payment if you prefer to pay upfront.

A few things may increase the cost of cord blood banking in Buffalo:

• If you're having twins or triplets, you'll have more cord blood to store and higher costs as a result.
• You can choose to store umbilical cord or placenta tissue as well for use with other medical treatments.

Who can use cord blood?

Cord blood doesn't just benefit the mother and child. If you choose a private cord blood bank, any member of your immediate or extended family that’s a match can benefit as well.

If you donate to a public cord blood bank in Buffalo, you can help other people in Buffalo get the medical treatment they need. Your hospital may work with local public cord blood banks, so ask in advance if you want to donate your cord blood.