Find the Best Cord Blood Banking in Milwaukee, WI

Is cord blood banking worth it?

There are close to 10,000 births in Milwaukee each year. Expecting parents in Wauwatosa, Bay View, Brookfield, Mequon and other popular areas may want to consider saving, or banking, a baby’s cord blood to potentially treat future illness in the family. This is an especially good idea if there is a family medical history of diseases that can be treated with umbilical cord stem cell transplants.

Cord blood is used in the treatment of many different serious diseases, including:

• Leukemia
• Lymphoma
• Neuroblastoma
• Sickle cell anemia
• Tay-Sachs disease
• Other cancers, blood disorders, bone marrow failure syndromes, metabolic disorders and immunodeficiencies

Researchers are continuing to explore other therapies using cord blood, like for autism; cerebral palsy; brain and cardiac trauma; hearing loss; and Type 1 diabetes.

When deciding whether cord blood banking is worth it, take into account private vs. public cord blood banking, cost, family medical history, having enough time to make arrangements and the quality of the cord blood bank.

Cord blood banking pros and cons

Here are cord blood banking pros and cons:

How is cord blood stored?

There are two types of cord blood banks:

• If you want to save a baby’s cord blood for use by your family, choose a private blood bank. Private cord blood registries charge to collect, process and store cord blood and make it available at your request.
• If you want to make a cord blood donation, go with a public blood bank. Public cord blood registries make donated cord blood available to anyone who needs it. Check with your health care provider first to see if it participates in a public cord blood donation program.

All cord blood banks, private and public, need to be registered with the Food and Drug Administration. When choosing a private cord blood bank in Milwaukee, look for accreditation from AABB or the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT).

How much does cord blood banking cost in Milwaukee?

For private cord blood banking in Milwaukee for one sample over 20 years, expect to spend $3,500 to $5,000. Private cord blood banking costs include:

• A one-time initial fee from $1,500 - $2,000 to cover a collection kit, courier pickup from the hospital and processing at the cord blood bank lab
• An annual storage fee from $150 - $200
• Any costs from the hospital for health care staff to collect the cord blood after delivery

For an extra cost, some private cord blood banks in Milwaukee also store cord tissue and placental tissue stem cells, which may get future approval for medical treatment.

Cord blood banking companies offer payment plans to make cord blood banking cost more affordable. Ask about any promotions or other ways to save.

Who can use cord blood?

If you make a cord blood donation to a public cord blood bank, anyone who is a genetic match can use it for a transplant.

If you do private cord blood banking, the cord blood is available to your family. The donor, donor’s siblings and other family members can use cord the cord blood.

Remember, successful treatment using umbilical cord stem cells isn’t always possible: it depends on the disease, genetic matching between the donor and recipient and the quality of the cord blood.