Cord Blood Company Sued for Misleading Parents
Two states are suing one of the country's biggest cord blood storage companies–and the details are interesting.
3/28/2026
Two states are taking legal action against Cord Blood Registry (CBR), one of the country's largest umbilical cord storage companies. Texas and Arizona attorneys general claim that CBR misled new parents into paying thousands of dollars by overstating the medical benefits of storing their newborn's cord blood. The lawsuits noted that in today’s world of modern medicine, privately stored cord blood has little to no use. Officials from both states are seeking to have CBR remove misleading advertisements and provide compensation to affected families.
My Perspective: This situation is particularly interesting because it raises both legal and ethical concerns. The company targeted parents at one of their most vulnerable moments, when they are constantly worrying about their newborn’s health and future care. The fact that privately stored cord blood is rarely used in modern medicine, with only 19 reported transplants using a child's own cord blood since 2010, makes their marketing claims look indefensible. Hopefully these lawsuits push the whole industry toward being more honest and upfront about the truth. For families considering their options, public cord blood banking seems to offer a more reliable and medically supported alternative path forward, as publicly banked cord blood has been used in tens of thousands of transplants globally.
Two states are taking legal action against Cord Blood Registry (CBR), one of the country's largest umbilical cord storage companies. Texas and Arizona attorneys general claim that CBR misled new parents into paying thousands of dollars by overstating the medical benefits of storing their newborn's cord blood. The lawsuits noted that in today’s world of modern medicine, privately stored cord blood has little to no use. Officials from both states are seeking to have CBR remove misleading advertisements and provide compensation to affected families.
My perspective: This situation is particularly interesting because it raises both legal and ethical concerns. The company targeted parents at one of their most vulnerable moments, when they are constantly worrying about their newborn’s health and future care. The fact that privately stored cord blood is rarely used in modern medicine, with only 19 reported transplants using a child's own cord blood since 2010, makes their marketing claims look indefensible. Hopefully these lawsuits push the whole industry toward being more honest and upfront about the truth. For families considering their options, public cord blood banking seems to offer a more reliable and medically supported alternative path forward, as publicly banked cord blood has been used in tens of thousands of transplants globally.
References
“Cord Blood Banking | Department of Health | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” Umbilical Cord Blood Banking, www.pa.gov/agencies/health/programs/blood-and-organ-donation/cord-blood-banking. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Kliff , Sarah, and Azeen Ghorayshi. “Two States Sue Cord Blood Bank over False Advertisements - The New York Times.” Two States Sue Cord Blood Bank Over False Advertisements, The New York Times, www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/health/cord-blood-registry-false-advertisements.html. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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