Everything New Parents Should Know

As you prepare for a new child, cord blood banking becomes increasingly important for your family’s future health and well-being. Many parents worry they’ve missed the opportunity to bank their child’s cord blood close to the due date. However, some companies offer expedited services to address this. Americord, a leading cord blood bank, offers last-minute kit orders, allowing you to access this valuable resource.

What Is Cord Blood Banking?

Cord blood banking involves collecting and storing the umbilical cord blood after your newborn’s birth. This umbilical blood is rich in stem cells, which can develop into various cell types. Thus, they’re valuable for future medical treatments. Cord blood stem cells can treat several diseases, including leukemia, lymphoma, and some genetic disorders. 

You can choose to bank your new child’s cord blood privately for exclusive use by your family. Alternatively, consider donating it publicly to make it available to anyone in need, potentially saving lives in the broader community. 

What Factors Should Parents Consider When Choosing a Private Cord Bank?

Choosing a cord blood bank is a significant decision about your child and your family’s future health. Ask yourself several key questions beforehand, doing so can provide much-needed insight. 

1. Can the Bank Accommodate a Last-Minute Request?

Pregnancy is unpredictable, and many parents don’t choose cord blood banking until their baby’s due date approaches. The cord bank must be able to handle expedited orders, allowing you to make last-minute decisions.

2. What Technologies Does the Bank Use for Processing?

Processing technology can substantially impact the number of viable stem cells collected for storage. Advanced technology enhances this stem cell yield and viability, increasing the potential for future medical applications. Investigate the methods banks use and identify those that utilize state-of-the-art technology to maximize stem cell recovery. Understanding these techniques helps you gauge the value of stored stem cells.

3. Does the Bank Offer More Than Cord Blood Banking?

Medical science is advancing, with different types of stem cells, those derived from umbilical cord and placental cord tissue, having various medical applications. A bank that offers more than cord blood banking may provide greater future health benefits. These options enable last-minute kits to collect more than just a newborn’s cord blood, allowing for the use of stem cells on a broader scale of treatment.

4. What Are the Bank’s Long-Term Storage Guarantees and Costs?

Because cord blood banking is a long-term investment, you need assurance of a cord bank’s safe and secure storage. Price is often a determining factor, so clarify beforehand that your family won’t face unexpected increases over time. A bank with an FDA-registered facility, transparent long-term storage guarantees and price-freezing over the duration is likely a decent choice for protecting your baby’s stem cells.

With these answers, you’ll know which private cord blood bank to contact for your last-minute kit order. 

Are There Any Risks of Late Enrollment in Cord Blood Banking?

Banks that provide last-minute kit orders as a standard service reduce the risk of late enrollment — as long as you follow the prescribed collection process. The most significant risk is not signing up in time to receive your kit by the time your baby’s born. Without the kit, you’ll lose the chance for future valuable stem cell access.

You may also face price increases for late enrollment. Banks that inflate their charges generally have earlier sign-up cut-offs and may not include last-minute kit deliveries as standard packages.

So which private cord blood bank offers last-minute kit orders?

Why Americord Is the Best Option for Last-Minute Kit Orders

If you need a top-tier cord blood bank for last-minute kit orders, Americord meets the criteria by expertly covering several key aspects. 

1. Urgent Collection Kit Delivery

The delivery speed of a cord blood collection kit is crucial to ensure it arrives before your child’s birth. With Americord, signing up for a last-minute kit order with sufficient time to deliver the kit ensures it’ll be available for your medical professional to collect upon your newborn’s arrival. The company has a facility for same-day rush shipping, allowing you time to consider your options.  

Once you know your baby’s due date and decide to collect their cord blood, sign up with Americord immediately to alleviate any stress you have about the kit’s delivery. 

2. Collection Kit Quality and Transportation

The quality of the collection kit is key. Its design must preserve the cord blood’s integrity during transportation for processing. Americord offers a 4-in-1 collection system that allows your medical professional to collect and store all blood and tissue in a single, high-quality protective kit. The kit’s design makes last-minute deliveries simple, compact and efficient for the professional and safe and secure for delivery. With Americord, a medical courier promptly collects the complete kit from your location and delivers it to the lab for processing.

3. Processing

The processing technology at a cord blood bank is crucial in determining the yield of stem cells. Americord’s advanced CryoMaxx™ cord blood processing technology maximizes these yields by enhancing manipulation and promoting stem cell recovery. Your family will receive the most effective and potent stem cell samples for future medical treatments. Ordering a last-minute kit does not affect stem cell yield, as long as the professional delivering your baby clamps the umbilical cord and collects the blood promptly.

4. Storage

Like in processing, a last-minute order kit makes no difference to long-term stem cell storage. However, storing stem cells and exosomes after processing is paramount in preserving stem cell quality until they’re in need, sometimes decades later. Americord’s FDA-registered laboratory ensures the integrity of your newborn’s cord blood samples, and the company offers a $110,000 Cord Blood Quality Guarantee for each cord blood storage unit. 

Americord also commits to paying up to $110,000 for an alternative stem cell source if your baby’s cord blood stem cells fail to engraft. It is also the only stem cell bank in the United States offering exosome banking for mother and child. Furthermore, Americord will only charge your credit card once your baby’s cord blood is fully processed and cryogenically stored in liquid nitrogen in the lab facility. You will also receive a storage confirmation certification.   

5. Comprehensive Banking Options

Americord offers banking for cord blood, cord tissue, placental tissue and exosomes to support your family’s future health. Cord blood provides stem cells for disease treatment, while cord tissue contains mesenchymal stem cells for use in regenerative therapies. Placental tissue banking preserves stem cells for various therapies and exosome banking has potential in regenerative medicine. 

If you need a last-minute cord kit, consider Americord. You never know when your family may need the stem cells you bank, and there are no additional charges. 

Why New Parents Should Consider Cord Blood Banking

Cord blood banking is a proactive step that you can take to secure your new child’s health and future. Americord’s expedited services and extensive banking solutions enable you to make informed decisions confidently, even late in pregnancy. Once you know your due date, decide and enjoy the peace of mind knowing that Americord cord blood banking can provide solutions for your family’s future medical needs.