What ViaCord Does

ViaCord is a private cord blood banking company that collects and stores your newborn's umbilical cord blood for potential future medical use. The company processes the blood sample, tests it for sterility and cell count, freezes it, and keeps it in cryogenic storage indefinitely. If your child or a family member ever needs a stem cell transplant — for leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell disease, or certain other conditions — ViaCord can retrieve and thaw the stored blood for medical use.

ViaCord operates as a for-profit business, which means you pay upfront collection and processing fees, then annual storage fees for as long as you want the blood kept. The company does not participate in public cord blood registries, so the blood is reserved exclusively for your family unless you later donate it to research.

ViaCord has been in operation since 1995 and is accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), which sets standards for how cord blood is collected, tested, and stored. Accreditation means the company meets federal and industry requirements, though it does not may provide your child will ever need the stored blood or that it will work if needed.

Key Takeaways

  • ViaCord charges a one-time collection and processing fee (typically $1,400 to $2,300) plus annual storage fees (typically $100 to $300 per year) that you pay for the life of storage.
  • The company collects blood during delivery, processes it within 48 hours, and stores it in liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees Celsius.
  • Your stored blood is available only to your family unless you choose to donate it to research or a public registry later.
  • ViaCord is AABB-accredited and regulated by the FDA, but private banking does not may provide your child will develop a condition that requires cord blood or that stored blood will be medically useful if needed.
  • You must arrange banking before delivery and provide ViaCord with a collection kit at the hospital.

How to Set Up Collection Before Delivery

You need to enroll with ViaCord before your baby is born so the company can send you a collection kit to bring to the hospital. You can start the process online or by phone; ViaCord will ask for your contact information, expected delivery date, and hospital name. The company then mails you a sterile collection kit in a temperature-controlled container.

Bring the kit to your hospital or birthing center and give it to your delivery team. ViaCord provides instructions to the medical staff on how to collect the blood from the umbilical cord after delivery but before the placenta is delivered — the collection takes only a few minutes and does not interfere with standard delivery care. The collection is painless for mother and baby.

After collection, the kit is sealed and labeled with your baby's information. You or the hospital staff arrange for the kit to be picked up by a courier or shipped back to ViaCord's processing facility, usually within 24 to 48 hours of delivery. ViaCord processes the sample when ready upon arrival.

What Happens During Processing and Storage

When your sample arrives at ViaCord's lab, the company tests the blood for cell viability, sterility, and the presence of certain diseases (HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, and others). The blood is then treated with a cryoprotectant — a chemical that prevents ice crystals from forming and damaging cells during freezing — and divided into segments for storage.

The processed blood is frozen in liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees Celsius and stored in individual cryogenic tanks. ViaCord maintains backup power systems and monitoring equipment to may support the blood stays frozen continuously. The company stores samples in multiple locations to reduce the risk of total loss from a single facility failure.

You receive a report showing the total number of viable cells in your sample and the results of disease testing. A higher cell count generally means a better chance the blood could be used medically, though ViaCord cannot predict whether your child will ever need it or whether the cells will function properly years or decades later.

Costs and Payment Options

ViaCord's fees vary depending on the package you choose. A typical initial fee for collection and processing ranges from $1,400 to $2,300, though promotional pricing is sometimes available. Annual storage fees typically range from $100 to $300 per year, depending on the storage plan and any discounts offered at the time of enrollment.

Some families pay the full initial fee upfront; others use a payment plan that spreads the cost over several months. ViaCord also offers sibling packages if you plan to bank cord blood from more than one child, which usually reduces the per-child cost. A few health insurance plans cover cord blood banking, though most do not — check your policy before enrolling.

If you stop paying annual storage fees, ViaCord will eventually dispose of your sample. The company typically sends notices before discontinuing storage, but it is your responsibility to keep your account active and your contact information current.

When Cord Blood from ViaCord Can Be Used

Cord blood stem cells have been used to treat certain blood cancers (leukemia, lymphoma), some inherited blood disorders (sickle cell disease, thalassemia), and certain immune system disorders. The FDA has approved cord blood for use in these and a few other conditions. However, the vast majority of children who bank cord blood will never need it — the lifetime probability is estimated in the range of 1 in 400 to 1 in 200, depending on the condition and the population studied.

If your child develops a condition that might benefit from cord blood transplant, your doctor would contact ViaCord to retrieve and thaw the sample. The blood would then be sent to the transplant center for infusion. There is no may provide the thawed cells will survive the process, function properly, or treat the condition successfully — outcomes depend on the specific disease, the patient's age and health, and other medical factors.

Cord blood cannot currently be used to treat most cancers, genetic disorders, or neurological conditions, despite claims sometimes made in marketing materials. The science is still developing, and many treatments promoted in early research have not yet been proven safe or effective in humans.

Private Banking Versus Public Banking

ViaCord is a private bank, meaning you own the blood and it is reserved for your family's use. Public cord blood banks, by contrast, collect and store blood for anyone who needs it — the blood becomes part of a registry that hospitals can search when a patient needs a transplant. Public banking is free or low-cost because it is funded by government and nonprofit organizations.

The trade-off is access: with private banking, your blood is available only to you and your when ready family. With public banking, your blood might help a stranger, but you lose the ability to use it for your own child. Some families do both — they bank privately and also donate to a public registry — though this is less common.

ViaCord does not operate a public registry. If you later want to donate your stored blood to research or a public bank, you can contact ViaCord to arrange it, but the company's primary business model is private family banking.

Questions to Ask Before Enrolling

Before signing up with ViaCord, consider whether the upfront and ongoing costs fit your budget over many years. Storage fees add up — $200 per year for 18 years is $3,600 on top of the initial processing fee. Ask yourself whether the small statistical chance your child will need the blood justifies that expense for your family.

Review ViaCord's financial stability and track record. The company has been operating for nearly 30 years and is accredited by the AABB, which is a positive sign. However, no company is may provide to stay in business forever. Ask ViaCord what happens to stored samples if the company closes — most accredited banks have agreements to transfer samples to another facility, but confirm this in writing.

Understand that banking cord blood is not the same as having insurance. The blood may never be needed, may not survive thawing, or may not work if used. Do not let marketing materials suggesting cord blood is a "biological insurance policy" override your own judgment about whether the investment makes sense for your family.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my ViaCord sample if a sibling needs it?

Yes, cord blood can be used by siblings and sometimes by parents if they have a compatible condition. However, there is a genetic match requirement — the blood must be compatible with the recipient's immune system. Siblings have roughly a 25% chance of being a perfect match, so banking for one child does not may provide a match for another.

What if my baby's cord blood sample does not meet ViaCord's quality standards?

ViaCord will notify you if the sample fails testing — for example, if the cell count is too low or if contamination is detected. In that case, the company typically refunds your processing fee but keeps any collection fee. You would not have stored cord blood available. This happens in a small percentage of collections.

Can I retrieve my sample before my child turns 18?

Yes, as the parent or legal guardian, you can request retrieval of your child's sample at any time for medical use. If your child is an adult, they can request it themselves. ViaCord will release the sample to a hospital or transplant center upon receipt of a physician's order.

Does ViaCord may provide the blood will work if my child needs it?

No. ViaCord guarantees proper storage and testing, but cannot may provide the cells will survive thawing, function properly, or successfully treat a disease. Medical outcomes depend on many factors beyond the bank's control, including the patient's condition, age, and overall health.

What happens to my sample if I stop paying storage fees?

ViaCord will eventually dispose of your sample if you do not pay annual storage fees. The company sends notices before discontinuing service, but it is your responsibility to maintain your account. If you want to keep the sample, you must continue paying storage fees or arrange to transfer it to another bank.