If cord blood is stored instead of discarded after birth, it will be at either a public cord blood bank, or a private family cord blood bank. If you have your baby's cord blood stored in a public cord blood bank, it will be available for use in the same way blood you donate to a blood bank is available for use. Some will be discarded, some will be used for transplants and stem cell therapies on people you don't know. If your baby or a family member is in need of the stem cells from your baby's cord blood, it may not be there for you to use in a public cord blood bank. When you store cord blood in a public bank, you loose all ownership rights over the cord blood.
If you store your cord blood with a private family cord blood bank, you retain all ownership rights over the cord blood. This, however, comes with a price. Cord blood storage can be expensive. Many families praise their decision to store cord blood in a private bank. Ultimately, the decision will be up to you and your family. Take the time top learn more about cord blood and cord tissue banking as well as the open cord blood medical trials on diseases like cerebral palsy and more!