What is placenta blood banking?
Though the two procedures are often performed in conjunction, technically blood banked from the placenta is considered separate from cord blood. Placental blood is, like cord blood, rich in non-embryonic stem cells, and by banking both, the yield of CD34+ cells is expected to be roughly double (CD34+ cells are a highly valuable form of stem cells).
Unlike cord blood, which can be collected at the hospital, the placenta must be sent to a laboratory for additional processing. As such, placenta blood banking is more expensive than cord blood banking.
LifebankUSA claims to be the “first cord blood bank to collect stem cells from two sources – the placenta and the umbilical cord.” The company offers a variety of cord blood banking and placenta blood banking services.
For more information see “What are the costs?” below.