The cord blood within public cord blood banks are for the benefit of everyone. Public cord blood banks are non-profit organizations. Most banks in the U.S. find cord blood matches through the National Marrow Donor Program.
Public cord blood banks accept donations. There is no fee for the donation. Some OB/GYN's will charge a small collection fee (although many now waive the fee).
The major issue with private cord blood banks are those of safety. The privacy of the donor must be kept confidential, therefore, significant testing must be done on the collection.
The costs to open public cord blood banks has hindered their growth so only a few exist. Public cord blood banking is recommended by much of the medical community.
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