Preparing for the Future: Cord Blood Banking

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the implications of cord blood banking, specifically addressing concerns about what happens to cord blood if the banking company goes bankrupt. Participants explore various scenarios and historical examples related to the storage and potential loss of cord blood samples.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about the fate of their cord blood if the bank goes bankrupt, indicating a desire for clarity on this issue.
  • Another participant humorously suggests that the cord blood could be stored in a mattress, while also discussing the financial practices of cord blood banks, including bundling and selling derivatives.
  • A third participant provides information about past cord blood banks that went bankrupt, noting that outcomes varied based on existing contracts, with some parents losing their samples while others were able to recover them.
  • There is a reiteration of the importance of reading contracts to understand consumer rights and what happens in the event of bankruptcy.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the best course of action or the reliability of cord blood banks, highlighting multiple competing views and uncertainties regarding the security of cord blood storage.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects a variety of experiences with different cord blood banks and emphasizes the importance of contractual agreements, but does not resolve the uncertainties surrounding the potential risks involved.

jobyts
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My wife is due by the end of August, and we plan to collect the cord blood.

I was wondering what happens to our cord blood, if the cord blood bank goes bankrupt in the future?
 
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jobyts said:
My wife is due by the end of August, and we plan to collect the cord blood.

I was wondering what happens to our cord blood, if the cord blood bank goes bankrupt in the future?
These things are bundled and sold as a package to the larger cord blood banks who then repackage them and sell derivatives based on futures swaps and exchange traded funds. A string of bad earnings reports could result in a post-partum recession and blood in the streets. Your best bet is to stuff the thing in your mattress.
 
google to the rescue

http://parentsguidecordblood.org/content/usa/banklists/questionnaire.shtml

next step...
7. Consumer Rights
Please READ THE CONTRACT before choosing a company.

* In the event that the storage company went bankrupt, what would happen to the cord blood samples?

Examples: One of the earliest cord blood banks was Biocyte, founded by the well-known stem cell researcher Hal Broxmeyer, PhD. Unfortunately, they went out of business. Their samples were stored at the Central Blood Bank of Pittsburgh, and that facility agreed to maintain their storage. Since then, Dr. Broxmeyer has served on the Advisory Board of ViaCord. By comparison, when LifeBlood Cryogenics went bankrupt, parents lost their banked cord blood.

In 2001, a company named Bio-Cell opened up in Coral Springs FL. They were actually shipping cord blood to the laboratory of Cryo-Cell in Clearwater FL, but were charging parents twice as much as Cryo-Cell. They went out of business in less than a year, but parents were able to locate their cord blood in the Cryo-Cell storage facility.

In 2002, a company named American Cord Blood Institute opened up in The Woodlands, Texas. They tried to enter the high end of the market, running a very high quality operation; but they could not find enough customers willing to pay their prices and went out of business in less than a year.

In 2003, BirthCells Technology of Eatontown, NJ, closed shop after four years of operations. They were also using the laboratory of Cryo-Cell International in Clearwater, FL. It is possible that they could not maintain a profit margin after Cryo-Cell substantially increased their prices in spring of 2003. Again, storage contracts will be maintained by Cryo-Cell.

Seems to be case by case depending on the bank's existing contracts
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Office_Shredder said:
google to the rescue

http://parentsguidecordblood.org/content/usa/banklists/questionnaire.shtml



Seems to be case by case depending on the bank's existing contracts

Thanks for the info. I need to look at the contract now.

jimmysnyder said:
These things are bundled and sold as a package to the larger cord blood banks who then repackage them and sell derivatives based on futures swaps and exchange traded funds. A string of bad earnings reports could result in a post-partum recession and blood in the streets. Your best bet is to stuff the thing in your mattress.

:smile:

I envy ur sense of humor
 
Last edited by a moderator:
jimmysnyder said:
...Your best bet is to stuff the thing in your mattress.

No, the mattress thing won't work. I'm already using the mattress as my sperm bank.
 

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