Accredited Cord Blood Storage Centers
Donating and storing a newborn baby's umbilical cord blood at a cord blood bank can save many lives. Umbilical cord blood has so far been proven effective in controlling certain kinds of cancer such as lymphoma and leukemia. However, choosing a place to store cord blood can be very confusing as the number of cord blood banks across the country has increased dramatically. Each one seems to offer the same services, so how do donors select an accredited cord blood storage center ?
On-site storage versus outsourced storage
Contrary to popular belief, not all cord blood banks are created equal. While most of them offer similar services, not all of them conduct these services themselves. Some cord blood storage centers outsource storage facilities. There is really nothing wrong with this, as long as the cord blood receives the appropriate treatment for storage and is not compromised in any way. However, many cord blood banks neglect to share this detail to their customers. Prospective donors and recipients should ask right away if the cord blood will to be stored on-site or outsourced to a cryo-storage facility. This way, proper research can be done to certify the credibility of the actual storage facility.
Research on the company
Regardless of whether the cord blood will be stored on-site or elsewhere, donors and recipients should do some research on the storage facility itself. The American Association of Blood Banks regularly reviews various blood storage facilities and rates them according to the services they provide and the storage methods they use. The ones that will pass the rigid inspections will become accredited cord blood storage centers . And once they become accredited, most hospitals will come to them to request for cord blood whenever they are in need of such. These accredited cord blood storage centers are the ones that donors and recipients should look for. They may be slightly more expensive, but if the need for cord blood arises, they will be certain that these cord blood storage centers will be able to deliver.
On the other hand, there are certain blood storage facilities that have a large supply of cord blood on hand. Usually these facilities are less expensive. More than likely, the reason why these facilities have large amounts of cord blood that are readily available is because the vials are corrupted or compromised. Donors and recipients are therefore urged to stay away from these facilities.
Also, certain health regulatory agencies such as the Federal Drug Administration do regular investigations on new research methods and possible treatments and cures for various diseases. Cord blood banking and its corollary, stem cell therapy, fall under this category. If the FDA finds that the system used to bank and preserve the cord blood does not compromise the cord blood in any way, then it will give the cord blood center an accreditation or an FDA registration. One example of an accredited cord blood storage center is LifeCord. It is based in Gainesville , Florida and is registered with the FDA as a center for Investigative New Drug research program.