Will my delivery hospital allow me to use any family bank?
In the US, the answer to this question is almost always YES. However... a handful of hospitals have signed exclusive contracts requiring their patients to use certain family banks, so it is best to check in advance.
Those hospitals who have made exclusive partnerships will argue that it improves their level of care, because their staff train with and stock the collection kits for the banks they have approved. The hospital probably has a financial incentive too. However, for parents it means a lack of consumer choice.
Who is able to donate cord blood?
In theory, any expectant mother who passes the medical screening is eligible to donate. In practice, the biggest hurdle faced by families who wish to donate is finding a bank to accept their donation. There are only about 200 hospitals in the US that collect cord blood donations from births, and most of them require you to register for donation weeks ahead of the birth. The handful of programs that accept mail-in donations are opening this opportunity to the rest of the American public.
Why is it important to choose a Family Bank that is accredited?
The Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Foundation recommends that parents select a Family Bank whose laboratory has been inspected and accredited by an accreditation agency specific to cord blood banking, as this provides a degree of quality assurance.
In some countries, national regulations hold Family Banks to the same standards as Public Banks, so an independent accreditation is not necessary (Examples: Germany, Israel). But in most countries the federal requirements for Family Banks are not as strict as Public Banks, and then a voluntary accreditation is desirable. For example, in the United States the FDA registers and inspects Family banks, but does not require them to have a BLA License like Public Banks.
Caveat: The process of registering with an accreditation agency and getting inspected can take a year, so it is understandable if a brand new lab does not have an accreditation yet.
