How much does Cord Blood Banking cost?
As you prepare for the impending birth of your newborn baby, you must be faced with many different decisions. One question that may have popped up is should you be storing your baby’s umbilical cord blood.
For most, the choice is dependent on the overall cost of Cord Blood Banking. Cord Blood Banking is the process of collecting, processing, and storing potentially life-saving stem cells for future use, this leaves a lot of soon-to-be parents wondering if it is worth the money.
In this article, we share the average cost of banking your baby’s cord blood and other factors to keep in mind when making this once-in-a-lifetime decision.
What exactly is Cord Blood?
Cord blood is the blood found in your baby’s umbilical cord; it is a rich source of Haemopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs). These stem cells make up the building blocks of our blood and immune system throughout our life.
HSCs can develop into all types of blood cells. These stem cells are clinically proven to be used in the treatment of over 80 diseases1, such as blood disorders, certain childhood and blood cancers, metabolic disorders, and immunodeficiency syndrome.
Doctors believe that there is more potential, and research is ongoing to use Cord Blood to treat other diseases including Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Diabetes, Heart Diseases, Strokes and more.
What are the benefits of storing Cord Blood for your baby?
Your baby’s Cord Blood will always be a 100% match for your baby. An autologous transplant, or a transplant where the patient is the donor, will have a lower risk of life-threatening complications. There is no risk of graft-versus-host-diseases (GVHD) and there will be no need for the patient to undergo immunosuppressive therapy.
On top of this, your baby’s cord blood can also potentially be used to treat immediate family members – as cord blood from a related donor will result in fewer complications and improved medical outcomes. The cord blood sample will always be readily available, this means no treatment delays while eliminating the difficulties of finding a compatible donor for treatment, and any potential disease progression can be avoided.
So, how much does Cord Blood Banking cost?
When you sign up with a private cord blood bank in Singapore like StemCord, it means that your cord blood is stored exclusively for you and your family. The fees for cord blood banking include enrolment, collection, processing, and storage fees.
Storing these precious stem cells is a long-term commitment of up to 21 years and StemCord offers affordable payment plans. At StemCord, to store both cord blood and cord stem cells starts from as little as S$0.80 per day*.
If your child is a Singaporean, you can access the Baby Bonus Scheme – Child Development Account (CDA) that can be used to offset the cost of Cord Blood Banking in Singapore.
*Terms & Conditions Apply.
When and how to get started in the cord blood process with StemCord?
It is often recommended for you to book an appointment with a StemCord consultant before the third trimester, around 28 – 32 weeks. This gives you a month before your due date to research and prepares yourself in case you deliver early.
Waiting until you are in the delivery room to make the decision is not recommended because the necessary materials may not be available. As long as you educate yourself with the relevant information in advance, you can be assured of the decision that is best for you and your family.
Deciding to bank your child’s cord blood is a gift which you can give your child from birth. With all the benefits that it offers, it is a worthwhile investment which can help protect your child’s future, especially when it counts the most. Weighing up the pros and cons, you will find that it is worth it.
Want to find out more?
Call us at (65) 6471 2002 or click here to arrange a meeting or chat.
Our consultant can arrange for a non-obligatory meeting to provide you with more information and answer any questions you may have.
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