Monday, November 28, 2005

Cord Blood Donation

Cord blood donations are free of charge. This is different from Private Storage. Before the 35th week, the mom needs to contact Cryobank International at 1-800-869-8608. Cryobank provides a collection kit free of charge for public donations. The doctor who delivers the baby volunteers to collects the blood. It takes about 10 minutes of time and must be Fed-exed to Cryobank. Most doctors will do this free of charge, but some may charge $75-$400, so it is best to check with the doctor first. Insurance companies do not cover cord blood collections. There is a form that Cryobank will provide that the doctor needs to sign. This procedure applies to home births too. A midwife can collect the blood with the kit and send it off, just like a doctor. Again, free of charge.

Marrow.org has a page that describes cord blood collection: http://www.marrow.org/HELP/donate_cord_blood.html

CryoBanks International - Cord Blood Storage and Donation
http://www.cryo-intl.com

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