While going for stem cell cord blood banking, you should look for a bank that saves blood in small batches, in either compartmented bags or multiple vials, instead of single bag or vial. This type of storage process renders you the potential to utilize your baby's cord blood on one and more occasions. At present, it is not possible, but scientists are busy finding out techniques to expand stem cells within a single unit of this blood. Therefore, if you choose a bank that uses compartmented-bag or multiple-vial storage system today, you might be able to utilize it to treat many people and many diseases someday. It feels proud to be a part of the ever-changing medical scenario.

The bank will ask you for a written permission for the storage. You will also be required to give a blood sample for testing for infectious disease and to fill a health record form. The banks keep all information identifying the mother or baby donor confidential. In case the tests carried out on the blood sample reveals information that you must know for your and your baby's health, the bank will inform you.

According to some experts, the ideal case is with the bank that subcontracts storage to some existing public cord blood bank. When we compare, the public banks have since long been under strict regulation by the FDA and have to undergo rigorous operating procedures.

If your choice is a private bank, then choose one that preserve blood units independent to the other frozen samples. The freezer, which is specially meant for this storage only, is opened lesser number of times, thus, protecting your sample from the effects of temperature fluctuations. In addition to this, you must ask the bank officials the number of successful transplants they have performed from the samples stored at their bank. The number of successes indicates how careful they are in the storage so that the stem cells remain viable when they are taken out from the freezer.

Cord blood banking has still not become a routine in hospitals. It is a process that is entirely a choice and requires planning.