Finding the Right Cord Blood Bank for Your Family

Finding a reputable and affordable cord blood bank can be an arduous process. In this article we offer advice on choosing the right blood bank for your family. Here are a few starting points to help:

Utilize all available online resources in your search.

The Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Foundation is an excellent online resource to begin your search. The website features a search tool that enables you to access a database of up to 200 blood banks around the world. Contact information, price comparisons and descriptions of storage and transport methods are given for each company.

Selecting a cord blood bank based on its proximity to your home may seem like the obvious choice, but it's important to consider that a bank's storage area and headquarters may be in a different state or country altogether. Focus on banks that offer courier transport, as shipping time is essential in ensuring the preservation of your baby's cord blood if and when it's needed.

Ask about compliance with federal regulations.

To ensure your cord blood will be properly stored and transported, look for banks that comply with federal and state regulations. New York, California, Maryland and New Jersey all have specific licensing requirements, for example. Accreditations are given by FACT (the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellulary Therapy) or AABB (the American Association of Blood Banks, now an international society) and ensure that the facilities have appropriate collection places, processing and storage services.

Consult a trusted obstetrician.

Consult with a trusted healthcare provider for information about cord blood storage. Some private banks offer monetary incentives to doctors who refer their services, and obstetricians can be influenced monetarily to recommend a particular bank. Parents deserve a recommendation made with their best interests in mind.

Parents can determine whether their obstetrician may be swayed in favor of a particular cord blood bank by inquiring directly with the bank in question. Ask about the bank's policies for rewarding doctors for referrals, and ask your doctor candidly about their recommendation, especially if he or she suggested a single blood bank over others.

Make sure to compare fees across several cord blood storage companies. Those charging significantly higher than average costs may be reimbursing doctors and passing those costs off to the consumer.

By preserving your baby's cord blood you are taking an important step toward ensuring the health or your child should these vital cells be needed in the future. A bit of research will help you find a trusted cord blood bank to store and preserve this life-saving tissue.

Americord is a leader in the advancement of umbilical cord blood, cord tissue and placenta tissue banking. Americord collects, processes, and stores newborn stem cells from umbilical cord blood for future medical or therapeutic use, including the treatment of more than 80 blood diseases such as sickle cell anemia and leukemia. Founded in 2008, Americord is registered with the FDA and operates in all 50 states. The company's laboratory is CLIA Certified, accredited by the AABB and complies with all federal and state guidelines and applicable licenses. Americord is headquartered in New York, NY. You may visit Americord's website at cordadvantage.com for more information. You may also find Americord on Facebook and follow the company on Twitter.

Finding the Right Cord Blood Bank for Your Family

Finding a reputable and affordable cord blood bank can be an arduous process. In this article we offer advice on choosing the right blood bank for your family. Here are a few starting points to help:

Utilize all available online resources in your search.

The Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Foundation is an excellent online resource to begin your search. The website features a search tool that enables you to access a database of up to 200 blood banks around the world. Contact information, price comparisons and descriptions of storage and transport methods are given for each company.

Selecting a cord blood bank based on its proximity to your home may seem like the obvious choice, but it's important to consider that a bank's storage area and headquarters may be in a different state or country altogether. Focus on banks that offer courier transport, as shipping time is essential in ensuring the preservation of your baby's cord blood if and when it's needed.

Ask about compliance with federal regulations.

To ensure your cord blood will be properly stored and transported, look for banks that comply with federal and state regulations. New York, California, Maryland and New Jersey all have specific licensing requirements, for example. Accreditations are given by FACT (the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellulary Therapy) or AABB (the American Association of Blood Banks, now an international society) and ensure that the facilities have appropriate collection places, processing and storage services.

Consult a trusted obstetrician.

Consult with a trusted healthcare provider for information about cord blood storage. Some private banks offer monetary incentives to doctors who refer their services, and obstetricians can be influenced monetarily to recommend a particular bank. Parents deserve a recommendation made with their best interests in mind.

Parents can determine whether their obstetrician may be swayed in favor of a particular cord blood bank by inquiring directly with the bank in question. Ask about the bank's policies for rewarding doctors for referrals, and ask your doctor candidly about their recommendation, especially if he or she suggested a single blood bank over others.

Make sure to compare fees across several cord blood storage companies. Those charging significantly higher than average costs may be reimbursing doctors and passing those costs off to the consumer.

By preserving your baby's cord blood you are taking an important step toward ensuring the health or your child should these vital cells be needed in the future. A bit of research will help you find a trusted cord blood bank to store and preserve this life-saving tissue.

Americord is a leader in the advancement of umbilical cord blood, cord tissue and placenta tissue banking. Americord collects, processes, and stores newborn stem cells from umbilical cord blood for future medical or therapeutic use, including the treatment of more than 80 blood diseases such as sickle cell anemia and leukemia. Founded in 2008, Americord is registered with the FDA and operates in all 50 states. The company's laboratory is CLIA Certified, accredited by the AABB and complies with all federal and state guidelines and applicable licenses. Americord is headquartered in New York, NY. You may visit Americord's website at cordadvantage.com for more information. You may also find Americord on Facebook and follow the company on Twitter.

Dead Tree Fall Collapse Injures Boy, Family Sues

A family in Idaho has sued the U.S. Forest Service. They are allegedly asking for $1 million for injuries their young son endured after a large dead tree at a remote campsite fell on top of him.

Richard and Melinda Armstrong, of Caldwell, told reporters that their family was camping in the Boise National Forest in September 2010 when the weather conditions caused a dead tree to tip over and fall on their son.

Their son was six-years-old at the time of the accident. He had to be airlifted out from the remote camp site to a hospital. He was treated at a hospital in Boise for a large laceration, a compound fracture and a puncture wound in his back that impaired his breathing.

According to the couple, they feel that the Forest Service was negligent in the incident. They did not take the appropriate action to remove the large tree, which was a safety hazard near a campsite. Reports say that the couple will now be suing for more than $1 million in damages and emotional stress in federal court.

"The tree was clearly dead - had been dead for years - and was within eight feet of the fire ring, and within 48 feet of the Forest Service road," their personal injury attorneys told the press on Wednesday. "It was an obvious hazard."

Armstrong's son has undergone multiple surgeries and suffered "severe permanent impairment" of his leg.

Currently they are trying to decide if the federal agency had a responsibility to make sure that it was a site where people frequented and that it was near a public road that was adequately protected from a potentially dangerous tree, including dead ones.

Various reports state that the Armstrong family was on a camping trip that took them about 50 miles north of Boise, to a remote Forest Service road east of the hamlet of Ola in Gem County. They are currently trying to determine if the place along Squaw Creek where they were overnighting was, in fact, a developed campsite, per the Forest Service's definition.

This is not the only accident of its kind. In Oregon, a man sued the Forest Service in 2010 after he was struck and injured by a tree while driving in his truck. That case was settled earlier this year - it was dismissed.

If you are camping, especially with a younger or less experienced person, make sure that you and all others in your party are well aware of your surroundings. This includes making sure that trees around you are not at risk of toppling over with a gust of wind.

Dead Tree Fall Collapse Injures Boy, Family Sues

A family in Idaho has sued the U.S. Forest Service. They are allegedly asking for $1 million for injuries their young son endured after a large dead tree at a remote campsite fell on top of him.

Richard and Melinda Armstrong, of Caldwell, told reporters that their family was camping in the Boise National Forest in September 2010 when the weather conditions caused a dead tree to tip over and fall on their son.

Their son was six-years-old at the time of the accident. He had to be airlifted out from the remote camp site to a hospital. He was treated at a hospital in Boise for a large laceration, a compound fracture and a puncture wound in his back that impaired his breathing.

According to the couple, they feel that the Forest Service was negligent in the incident. They did not take the appropriate action to remove the large tree, which was a safety hazard near a campsite. Reports say that the couple will now be suing for more than $1 million in damages and emotional stress in federal court.

"The tree was clearly dead - had been dead for years - and was within eight feet of the fire ring, and within 48 feet of the Forest Service road," their personal injury attorneys told the press on Wednesday. "It was an obvious hazard."

Armstrong's son has undergone multiple surgeries and suffered "severe permanent impairment" of his leg.

Currently they are trying to decide if the federal agency had a responsibility to make sure that it was a site where people frequented and that it was near a public road that was adequately protected from a potentially dangerous tree, including dead ones.

Various reports state that the Armstrong family was on a camping trip that took them about 50 miles north of Boise, to a remote Forest Service road east of the hamlet of Ola in Gem County. They are currently trying to determine if the place along Squaw Creek where they were overnighting was, in fact, a developed campsite, per the Forest Service's definition.

This is not the only accident of its kind. In Oregon, a man sued the Forest Service in 2010 after he was struck and injured by a tree while driving in his truck. That case was settled earlier this year - it was dismissed.

If you are camping, especially with a younger or less experienced person, make sure that you and all others in your party are well aware of your surroundings. This includes making sure that trees around you are not at risk of toppling over with a gust of wind.

Dead Tree Fall Collapse Injures Boy, Family Sues

A family in Idaho has sued the U.S. Forest Service. They are allegedly asking for $1 million for injuries their young son endured after a large dead tree at a remote campsite fell on top of him.

Richard and Melinda Armstrong, of Caldwell, told reporters that their family was camping in the Boise National Forest in September 2010 when the weather conditions caused a dead tree to tip over and fall on their son.

Their son was six-years-old at the time of the accident. He had to be airlifted out from the remote camp site to a hospital. He was treated at a hospital in Boise for a large laceration, a compound fracture and a puncture wound in his back that impaired his breathing.

According to the couple, they feel that the Forest Service was negligent in the incident. They did not take the appropriate action to remove the large tree, which was a safety hazard near a campsite. Reports say that the couple will now be suing for more than $1 million in damages and emotional stress in federal court.

"The tree was clearly dead - had been dead for years - and was within eight feet of the fire ring, and within 48 feet of the Forest Service road," their personal injury attorneys told the press on Wednesday. "It was an obvious hazard."

Armstrong's son has undergone multiple surgeries and suffered "severe permanent impairment" of his leg.

Currently they are trying to decide if the federal agency had a responsibility to make sure that it was a site where people frequented and that it was near a public road that was adequately protected from a potentially dangerous tree, including dead ones.

Various reports state that the Armstrong family was on a camping trip that took them about 50 miles north of Boise, to a remote Forest Service road east of the hamlet of Ola in Gem County. They are currently trying to determine if the place along Squaw Creek where they were overnighting was, in fact, a developed campsite, per the Forest Service's definition.

This is not the only accident of its kind. In Oregon, a man sued the Forest Service in 2010 after he was struck and injured by a tree while driving in his truck. That case was settled earlier this year - it was dismissed.

If you are camping, especially with a younger or less experienced person, make sure that you and all others in your party are well aware of your surroundings. This includes making sure that trees around you are not at risk of toppling over with a gust of wind.

Dead Tree Fall Collapse Injures Boy, Family Sues

A family in Idaho has sued the U.S. Forest Service. They are allegedly asking for $1 million for injuries their young son endured after a large dead tree at a remote campsite fell on top of him.

Richard and Melinda Armstrong, of Caldwell, told reporters that their family was camping in the Boise National Forest in September 2010 when the weather conditions caused a dead tree to tip over and fall on their son.

Their son was six-years-old at the time of the accident. He had to be airlifted out from the remote camp site to a hospital. He was treated at a hospital in Boise for a large laceration, a compound fracture and a puncture wound in his back that impaired his breathing.

According to the couple, they feel that the Forest Service was negligent in the incident. They did not take the appropriate action to remove the large tree, which was a safety hazard near a campsite. Reports say that the couple will now be suing for more than $1 million in damages and emotional stress in federal court.

"The tree was clearly dead - had been dead for years - and was within eight feet of the fire ring, and within 48 feet of the Forest Service road," their personal injury attorneys told the press on Wednesday. "It was an obvious hazard."

Armstrong's son has undergone multiple surgeries and suffered "severe permanent impairment" of his leg.

Currently they are trying to decide if the federal agency had a responsibility to make sure that it was a site where people frequented and that it was near a public road that was adequately protected from a potentially dangerous tree, including dead ones.

Various reports state that the Armstrong family was on a camping trip that took them about 50 miles north of Boise, to a remote Forest Service road east of the hamlet of Ola in Gem County. They are currently trying to determine if the place along Squaw Creek where they were overnighting was, in fact, a developed campsite, per the Forest Service's definition.

This is not the only accident of its kind. In Oregon, a man sued the Forest Service in 2010 after he was struck and injured by a tree while driving in his truck. That case was settled earlier this year - it was dismissed.

If you are camping, especially with a younger or less experienced person, make sure that you and all others in your party are well aware of your surroundings. This includes making sure that trees around you are not at risk of toppling over with a gust of wind.

Dead Tree Fall Collapse Injures Boy, Family Sues

A family in Idaho has sued the U.S. Forest Service. They are allegedly asking for $1 million for injuries their young son endured after a large dead tree at a remote campsite fell on top of him.

Richard and Melinda Armstrong, of Caldwell, told reporters that their family was camping in the Boise National Forest in September 2010 when the weather conditions caused a dead tree to tip over and fall on their son.

Their son was six-years-old at the time of the accident. He had to be airlifted out from the remote camp site to a hospital. He was treated at a hospital in Boise for a large laceration, a compound fracture and a puncture wound in his back that impaired his breathing.

According to the couple, they feel that the Forest Service was negligent in the incident. They did not take the appropriate action to remove the large tree, which was a safety hazard near a campsite. Reports say that the couple will now be suing for more than $1 million in damages and emotional stress in federal court.

"The tree was clearly dead - had been dead for years - and was within eight feet of the fire ring, and within 48 feet of the Forest Service road," their personal injury attorneys told the press on Wednesday. "It was an obvious hazard."

Armstrong's son has undergone multiple surgeries and suffered "severe permanent impairment" of his leg.

Currently they are trying to decide if the federal agency had a responsibility to make sure that it was a site where people frequented and that it was near a public road that was adequately protected from a potentially dangerous tree, including dead ones.

Various reports state that the Armstrong family was on a camping trip that took them about 50 miles north of Boise, to a remote Forest Service road east of the hamlet of Ola in Gem County. They are currently trying to determine if the place along Squaw Creek where they were overnighting was, in fact, a developed campsite, per the Forest Service's definition.

This is not the only accident of its kind. In Oregon, a man sued the Forest Service in 2010 after he was struck and injured by a tree while driving in his truck. That case was settled earlier this year - it was dismissed.

If you are camping, especially with a younger or less experienced person, make sure that you and all others in your party are well aware of your surroundings. This includes making sure that trees around you are not at risk of toppling over with a gust of wind.

Dead Tree Fall Collapse Injures Boy, Family Sues

A family in Idaho has sued the U.S. Forest Service. They are allegedly asking for $1 million for injuries their young son endured after a large dead tree at a remote campsite fell on top of him.

Richard and Melinda Armstrong, of Caldwell, told reporters that their family was camping in the Boise National Forest in September 2010 when the weather conditions caused a dead tree to tip over and fall on their son.

Their son was six-years-old at the time of the accident. He had to be airlifted out from the remote camp site to a hospital. He was treated at a hospital in Boise for a large laceration, a compound fracture and a puncture wound in his back that impaired his breathing.

According to the couple, they feel that the Forest Service was negligent in the incident. They did not take the appropriate action to remove the large tree, which was a safety hazard near a campsite. Reports say that the couple will now be suing for more than $1 million in damages and emotional stress in federal court.

"The tree was clearly dead - had been dead for years - and was within eight feet of the fire ring, and within 48 feet of the Forest Service road," their personal injury attorneys told the press on Wednesday. "It was an obvious hazard."

Armstrong's son has undergone multiple surgeries and suffered "severe permanent impairment" of his leg.

Currently they are trying to decide if the federal agency had a responsibility to make sure that it was a site where people frequented and that it was near a public road that was adequately protected from a potentially dangerous tree, including dead ones.

Various reports state that the Armstrong family was on a camping trip that took them about 50 miles north of Boise, to a remote Forest Service road east of the hamlet of Ola in Gem County. They are currently trying to determine if the place along Squaw Creek where they were overnighting was, in fact, a developed campsite, per the Forest Service's definition.

This is not the only accident of its kind. In Oregon, a man sued the Forest Service in 2010 after he was struck and injured by a tree while driving in his truck. That case was settled earlier this year - it was dismissed.

If you are camping, especially with a younger or less experienced person, make sure that you and all others in your party are well aware of your surroundings. This includes making sure that trees around you are not at risk of toppling over with a gust of wind.

Dead Tree Fall Collapse Injures Boy, Family Sues

A family in Idaho has sued the U.S. Forest Service. They are allegedly asking for $1 million for injuries their young son endured after a large dead tree at a remote campsite fell on top of him.

Richard and Melinda Armstrong, of Caldwell, told reporters that their family was camping in the Boise National Forest in September 2010 when the weather conditions caused a dead tree to tip over and fall on their son.

Their son was six-years-old at the time of the accident. He had to be airlifted out from the remote camp site to a hospital. He was treated at a hospital in Boise for a large laceration, a compound fracture and a puncture wound in his back that impaired his breathing.

According to the couple, they feel that the Forest Service was negligent in the incident. They did not take the appropriate action to remove the large tree, which was a safety hazard near a campsite. Reports say that the couple will now be suing for more than $1 million in damages and emotional stress in federal court.

"The tree was clearly dead - had been dead for years - and was within eight feet of the fire ring, and within 48 feet of the Forest Service road," their personal injury attorneys told the press on Wednesday. "It was an obvious hazard."

Armstrong's son has undergone multiple surgeries and suffered "severe permanent impairment" of his leg.

Currently they are trying to decide if the federal agency had a responsibility to make sure that it was a site where people frequented and that it was near a public road that was adequately protected from a potentially dangerous tree, including dead ones.

Various reports state that the Armstrong family was on a camping trip that took them about 50 miles north of Boise, to a remote Forest Service road east of the hamlet of Ola in Gem County. They are currently trying to determine if the place along Squaw Creek where they were overnighting was, in fact, a developed campsite, per the Forest Service's definition.

This is not the only accident of its kind. In Oregon, a man sued the Forest Service in 2010 after he was struck and injured by a tree while driving in his truck. That case was settled earlier this year - it was dismissed.

If you are camping, especially with a younger or less experienced person, make sure that you and all others in your party are well aware of your surroundings. This includes making sure that trees around you are not at risk of toppling over with a gust of wind.