What are the facilities used for the collection and storage of cord blood?

Both commercial and non-profit facilities (cord blood banks) collect and store cord blood. Cord blood banks that operate for the general public collect and store cord blood that is donated for use by anyone who might need it in the future (unrelated allogeneic use). Some commercial facilities charge fees to collect and store cord blood for a family's own private use, in the event it is needed by the donor infant (autologous use) or an HLA-matched family member (related allogeneic use) at a later time.

Storage for private use is controversial when it is purely "speculative" and no specific family member has been identified as needing a transplant. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend private storage for purely speculative purposes. Cord blood cannot be used autologously, for example, for children with genetic diseases because the same disease would be returned with the transplant. Moreover, most transplant physicians do not recommend autologous cord blood transplants for children with leukemia. Most will have cells with the leukemic mutations in their blood at birth. Moreover, a child who develops leukemia has evidence that his or her own immune system already failed to prevent the leukemia. Thus, physicians fear that an autologous cord blood transplant would have little if any graft versus leukemia effect. It also should be noted that only 25% of any two siblings are fully-matched for their HLA tissue type.

A family's choosing to store their baby's cord blood for their own private use must make arrangements in advance with a storage company. Usually the family will sign a contract with the company, pay an initial fee, obtain the company's special cord blood collection kit and get their obstetrician's agreement to do the collection. Initial and annual storage fees vary and may be covered by health insurance.

Non-profit cord blood banks do not charge for collecting and storing donated cord blood. They do require the mother to complete a thorough health history and to be tested for viruses such as hepatitis and HIV (also free of charge). The process may be initiated during pregnancy or before or immediately after the delivery, but is completed in the hospital.

Source: http://l3.leukemia-lymphoma.org/all_mat_toc.adp?item_id=9622