We at M.A.Z.E. Cord Blood Bank know that there are many questions about private cord blood services. Therefore we have provided answers to the most frequently asked questions:

1) What if I am having multiple births (twins, triplets, etc.)?

M.A.Z.E. Cord Blood has special savings for multiple births. Please be sure to contact us for pricing.

2 Can other family members use the cord blood?

The blood is banked by you and it is up to you to determine who can ultimately use the blood. If the cord blood is a match, other family members can absolutely use the cord blood. Of course, only the person banking the cord blood is likely to be a perfect genetic match.

3) How long should I wait before clamping an umbilical cord (Delayed Cord Blood Clamping).

This is a complicated question. It is often a tradeoff between two important - but uncertain – aspects of childbirth: What is the real benefit of delayed clamping so that the most possible cord blood can pulse into the child at delivery? And, what is the future need your child might have for his or her cord blood in order to treat disease?

Generally speaking, the longer you wait to clamp the cord, the less cord blood will be left to store. That balance will typically be made by a nurse or midwife at delivery, unless parents specify a preference in advance.

If there is history of disease in your family, particularly a blood cancer, a parent might want to err on the side of having more cord blood stored.

Each individual situation will warrant a decision at the time of delivery and it is helpful to discuss these options and alternatives with our obstetrician before you give birth.

4) What happens after the 20 years of free storage are up?

We do not know what our annual renewal price will be after 20 years and cannot guarantee any price. However, we can assure you that our intention is to keep our prices lower than other commercial labs. Also, please rest assured that you will be notified that your cord blood is up for renewal a few months prior to the renewal date and, at that time, you can choose to continue storing with us at our then current fee or, alternatively, transfer the blood to another bank.

5) Why doesn't M.A.Z.E. Cord Blood offer a guarantee? Many others seem to…

You may have read about guarantees offered by other cord blood banks. We've seen guarantees posted as high as $25,000-$50,000.

Cord blood companies that offer these guarantees state that, if you need to use your child's cord blood stem cells for transplantation and the cells fail to engraft, you will receive reimbursement of your processing and banking costs, as well as extraordinary compensation in the tens of thousands.

The truth is, when you look carefully at all the exclusions and exceptions in the guarantees offered by other banks, you will see that these cord blood banks have established many exceptions that virtually eliminate the possibility that they would ever be liable to pay for guarantees in the $25-50,000 range.

What may not be apparent on these websites or in the contracts you will sign regarding these guarantees, are the pages of exceptions that raise the question as to whether these guarantees will ever get paid out.

For example, cord blood bank guarantees are void if a collecting doctor or nurse varies at all from the cord blood company's own standard operating procedure. It may be easy for these companies cite the smallest variance in their own SOP and will, therefore, not guarantee the blood or pay the guarantee amount.

Also, if a parent has been on any experimental medication, or if the quantities of blood collected are low, exceptions apply and the guarantees are not paid. If you and your doctor read the fine print you will see that is it very unlikely that this "guarantee" will ever come to pass.

Failure for stem cells to engraft is beyond the control of any cord blood company, any lab or any parent. That is the truth.

At M.A.Z.E. Labs, we have decided not to offer a guarantee unless it was a real one. As a compassionate company, should your child need his or her cord blood for stem cell transplantation, and the cells fail to engraft, we will gladly reimburse you for the costs of collection and storage of these cells.

M.A.Z.E. Cord Blood Labs have been FDA registered and approved for 16 years, longer than the largest cord blood banks. Our processing and storage facilities are safe and secure and we are honest providers of this important service.

Make sure you read the fine print before spending more on a cord blood bank with a questionable guarantee. Consider the honesty and integrity of M.A.Z.E.

6) What happens if my child needs to use his/her cord blood?

If your baby needs the cord blood stem cells in the future, you simply contact us and we will arrange for transport to your requested location. The only cost for this is the courier charge to that destination, generally between $100 and $400 in the US.

As a M.A.Z.E. Cord Blood Patient you will receive change of address reminders every eight months, so we will always know how to reach you, and you will have all the information you need to contact us at M.A.Z.E. Feel free to call us at (646) 683-0000 with any other questions.

7) What is the deadline for ordering a cord blood collection kit?

We recommend that parents-to-be arrange for delivery of their cord blood collection kit at the beginning of the third trimester to insure that you have a kit in hand, regardless of the circumstances.

That said, we can expedite a kit for a rush surcharge of $50 at any point, however, we do not recommend waiting much past the beginning of the third trimester.

8) Why are you less expensive than other cord blood banks?

Regarding our ability to contain our costs to the patient, we can only point to the millions of dollars large banks spend on marketing. The huge costs associated with marketing budgets and call centers need to be passed on to the patient in the form of higher processing and storage fees. One large public bank just came out with their annual report which stated that $1200 was being spent on marketing to each patient!

An efficient, well-run cord blood bank like M.A.Z.E. relies on helpful internet search tools so people can find us, and word of mouth through past patients and referring doctors.

Here's the important part of our answer to you regarding our costs: Please know that the procedures for collecting, processing and storing your baby's blood are regulated by the institutions that approve and accredit cord blood labs. All AABB-accredited and FDA approved cord blood banks are subject to the same scrutiny by the AABB (American Association of Blood Banks) and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration of the US Government) , regardless of cost to the patient. There are no significant differences in the collecting, processing and storing procedures because they are all monitored and certified by the same government and industry groups.

Since all banks have to comply with the same rigorous conditions in order to receive the accreditation and approval any cord blood bank that tells you its processes are better than another is not being genuine. And MAZE Laboratories has been FDA-approved for over 15 years, longer than other cord blood banks and our AABB-accreditation is up-to-date and validated.

So in conclusion, paying more is no guarantee of better service, quality, safety or viability of the cord blood specimens.