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Find the Best Cord Blood Banks in Buffalo, NY

Cord blood banking preserves your newborn’s stem cells for future medical use, but it’s important to work with the right company. The Buffalo News has partnered with ConsumerAffairs to create this guide by comparing the local popularity and plan selections of 41 businesses and choosing eight favorites from the best cord blood banking companies in Buffalo.

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How to choose a cord blood bank in Buffalo

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Cord blood banking can seem confusing, but it helps to plan the process one step at a time. First, you need to choose between private and public cord blood banking.

  • Private cord blood banks collect and store cord blood and reserve it for personal or familial use. Private facilities typically either require upfront payment or one-time fees followed by a monthly storage rate. Private cord blood storage reduces the risk of post-transplant graft-versus-host disease because the sample perfectly matches the donor and has a 75% chance of being a partial match for full siblings. Private cord blood banking is best for families with genetic disorders since they can always have free access to their personal cord blood.
  • Public cord blood banks are free storage facilities where donor cells are available to any matching person. Public cord blood banks increase the diversity of available tissue and help those in need. However, public banks do not reserve donations for personal or family use, so don’t expect your sample to be available if you need it later. While donations are free, patients retrieving cord blood samples pay around $45,000. Public cord blood banking is best for families who do not have a family history of diseases that would require cord blood or bone marrow transplants.

Once you’re ready to look for a particular facility, consider regulatory requirements and optional accreditations. The Food and Drug Administration requires all cord blood banks to register themselves, complete a Biologics License Application and comply with its regulations. The FDA also requires donors to be screened and tested for infectious diseases.

Cord blood banks can also receive additional certifications for abiding by rules set by the American Association of Blood Banks or the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments. When looking into cord blood banks, be sure to choose a company that is registered with the FDA and has multiple accreditations and certifications.

You can take your time to choose the right facility, but remember that it’s important to make this decision early on in your pregnancy so you have time to act on it.

How much does cord blood banking cost in Buffalo?

The average initial cost of cord blood banking, including collection and processing, is generally between $1,400 and $4,000 in the Buffalo. However, this cost can double if you choose to submit umbilical cord tissue along with cord blood samples.

You don’t have to pay for the entire cost of cord blood banking upfront, though. Some companies allow you to break the cost into monthly payments, while others charge a smaller initial amount, usually around $1,000, followed by yearly storage fees.

After the collection, testing and registration of samples, cord blood storage costs between $95 to $300 per year in a private bank. Paying this way, the cost of 20 years of cord blood banking usually ranges between $3,000 and $7,000.

Your hospital may charge for collecting cord blood and umbilical cord tissue. Note that this is separate from the estimated initial costs of cord blood banking. Furthermore, insurance does not typically cover the costs of cord blood banking. If these costs seem prohibitive, most private blood banks offer financial assistance.

Pros and cons of cord blood banking in Buffalo

There are benefits and drawbacks to cord blood banking, so it’s critical you make an informed decision about whether it’s right for you and your family.

Pros:
  • Over 70 medical conditions are treatable with the stem cells found in cord blood. These conditions include immune system disease, genetic disorders, neurologic disorders, leukemia and lymphoma.
  • With private banking, your own cord blood stem cells are accessible to you and your family members.
  • Blood-forming stem cells can be frozen and stored for two decades and still be used successfully in transplants.
  • Collecting cord blood is painless and easy, compared to bone marrow collection.
  • More matches are possible with cord-blood-sourced stem cells than bone marrow.
  • Cord-blood-sourced stem cells are less likely to cause rejection in transplants.
  • Blood-forming cells from cord blood can strengthen a person’s immune system following cancer treatment, while blood marrow cells cannot.
Cons:
  • Private banking is expensive.
  • Your child or family members may never need the stem cells you saved.
  • A child’s own stem cells may not help treat any genetic disorders or leukemia they develop, because their sample can contain these same diseases.

Buffalo cord blood banking FAQ

Can I donate cord blood in Buffalo?

Yes, you can donate cord blood can in Buffalo. However, pregnant mothers must first pass a detailed maternal health screening before being able to donate cord blood. In New York, donors must also usually be 18 years of age or older to donate cord blood.

How much cord blood is needed for a transplant?

It depends — the number of stem cells is more important than the volume of cord blood collected. Medical professionals determine this number by the total nucleated cell count as it's the easiest indicator to verify in laboratories. The average cord blood donation possesses 8.6 million TNC per mL. So, to treat cancer, 2.9 mL of cord blood is needed for every kg of patient weight, according to the Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood.

How long does cord blood banking last?

Banked cord blood can remain viable for 20 years or more.

Has cord blood been used successfully?

Yes, stem cells have been used for decades to successfully treat more than 70 conditions, such as diseases of the immune system, genetic disorders, neurologic disorders, leukemia and lymphoma.

Buffalo cord blood banking company information

Americord

Americord is a New York-based private cord blood bank that collects umbilical cord blood, cord tissue and placental tissue stem cells. The company’s labs are both CLIA and AABB accredited, and its methods are FDA approved for use with cesarean sections. The company offers collection kits that are courier delivered to its labs. Plans include one-time, monthly and yearly payment options across 20 years of storage for single child, twin or triplet births. For 20 years of storage, Americord charges $3,499 as a one-time cost.

Americord Learn More (917) 338-6773

AlphaCord

AlphaCord is a private cord blood bank with storage plans for umbilical cord blood, cord tissue and placental tissue. The company is registered with the FDA, accredited by the AABB and licensed in the state of New York. This private bank claims a 100% success rate of providing viable cells for infusion and engraftment. AlphaCord plans start at $125 per year with a one-time fee of $995.

AlphaCord

ViaCord

ViaCord is a private cord blood bank that collects, processes, tests and stores cord blood and cord tissue. The company offers 20- and 25-year plans for single, twin and triplet births, and it has one-time, six-month and 12-month payment plans. Beyond storage, the company offers genomic testing of tissue samples. ViaCord representatives coordinate with you and your hospital to ensure sample retrieval. The lab is FDA registered and AABB and CLIA certified. ViaCord’s annual plans cost $175 a year after a $1,725 upfront payment, but if you plan to store the specimen for over 20 years, it’s cheaper to pay the entirety upfront.

ViaCord

Cord Blood Registry

Cord Blood Registry is the world’s largest private cord blood bank. It collects, processes and stores cord blood and cord tissue samples. The company offers multiple monthly, yearly and one-time payment options for 18 years or more of storage. It’s also FDA registered and CLIA and AABB certified. It uses couriers to pick up collection kits from hospitals. It also provides genetic counseling services. Cord Blood Registry’s pricing begins at $1,680 for the first year and $180 for the following years.

Cord Blood Registry

Cryo-Cell

Cryo-Cell is an international, private cord blood bank that is registered with the FDA and certified by the AABB and the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy. It also operates a public bank in partnership with Duke University Medical Center. Both banks collect, process and store cord blood, cord tissue and placental tissue. The company offers multiple payment options that can be paid annually, monthly or one-time for lifelong storage. Cryo-Cell's pricing starts at $1,500 plus an annual fee of $175.

Cryo-Cell

Lifebank

Lifebank is a private, FDA-registered, AABB-accredited bank that collects, processes and stores umbilical cord blood and cord and placental tissues. Expect to receive a hospital bag and kit ahead of the birth. The company then sends a courier to collect the specimen after your child is born. Lifebank’s packages start at $1,495 with yearly payments of $150.

Lifebank

New England Cord Blood Bank

Founded in 1971, New England Cord Blood Bank was one of the pioneering private cord blood banks, and it still collects, processes and stores cord blood and cord tissues. The company is FDA registered, licensed in New York and AABB accredited. It offers annual, 20-year and lifetime storage options, and it’s one-time collection cost can be converted into a 12-month, interest-free financing plan. New England Cord Blood Bank’s plans require an upfront collection fee of $1,049 with an annual fee of $150.

New England Cord Blood Bank

PacifiCord

PacifiCord is a private tissue bank that collects, processes and stores umbilical cord blood and cord tissue. The company is FDA registered, New York licensed and AABB accredited. It offers two packages — one for cord blood and one for cord blood and tissue. These packages come with annual, 18-year and lifetime plans. PacifiCord’s annual plan costs $1,395, its 18-year plan costs $3,600 and lifetime storage costs $5,600.

PacifiCord