Cord blood banking may be a life saving process when umbilical blood is collected and
stored for future purposes. Cord blood is rich with stem cells, that may prove to be
beneficial in treating more than 75 life threatening diseases. The collection process is
easy, painless and takes only a few minutes to store cord blood that is otherwise discarded as biological waste.

Cord blood banking has grown in popularity with the knowledge that stem cells are currently responsible for treating over 40 different diseases and disorders and may potentially create cures or ameliorations for diseases such as Type 1 diabetes, Cerebral Palsy and many other devastating ijuries.

Today, there are many private cord blood companies offering the service of collection, processing, testing and storage of umbilical cord blood. 

The internet and telephone conversations are useful resources in helping you choose the right cord blood bank, however it is important to select accredited companies and find out how long each cord blood laboratory has been operational. It is important to check the actual licenses and accreditations as many companies simply put FDA and other logos on their home page.  Experienced companies should have a good track record with banking cord blood and should possess at least an A rating with the BBB.

Financial stability and profitability of the company are two important factors in your
choice for the right cord blood bank. Remember that the company without financial
security will not be able to carry out cord blood banking securely and sustain its
maintenance and operation.

Also, determine how much experience the cord blood bank has company has in providing
samples for lifesaving medical transplants. Many cord blood banks, however, have not
provided a specimen for transplant purposes. Make comparisons among cord blood banks and find out the viability of thawed samples.

Next, consider where the company stores the cord blood stem cells. Some have storage
facilities near their corporate headquarters while others have labs in spots that are free
from natural disasters and the possibility of frequent airport closures. These safeguards
are important points to consider, especially if you live in a hurricane or earthquake prone
area. The final point to consider when choosing a cord blood bank is price.

Each cord blood banking company has a different rate for their service.  Some cord blood

banks offer a service for approximately $1,000, but that is generally for manual cord blood processing. Automated or closed bag processing systems are generally more expensive.  A person can expect to pay up to $2,000 for automated cord blood processing which research has shown recovers higher numbers of critical cells than manual processing.

There is absolutely no pain or risk associated with collecting cord blood stem cells. This
procedure takes place immediately after the birth of the baby, and takes only a few minutes. When collecting cord blood stem cells, the medical team will simply clamp the umbilical cord after the removal of the baby, and begin the flow of umbilical cord blood into the collection system.

Collecting cord blood stem cells is an uncomplicated procedure as it takes place after
delivery. This is unlike the harvesting of stem cells from bone marrow which requires a
surgical procedure under anesthesia, is painful and invasive, and costly.

There are some eligibility guidelines that have to be met for collecting cord blood stem
cells. The donor must be 18 years or older, in good health and free from several infectious diseases as regulated by the FDA and CDC. For example, it is not recommended that a private bank accept a specimen from a mother who has a history of sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B or C, West Nile Virus or Chagas’ Disease. Public banks have additional requirements which include rejection of donations from those who have had tattoos in the past twelve months.

As long as the woman is in good health, and is living in a community where collecting
cord blood stem cells is available, it is possible to donate the baby’s cord blood. Mothers have to choose the participating cord blood bank and consult her doctor for guidance

After collecting cord blood stem cells, the cord blood is sent to the cord blood bank to be
stored for potential future use. It may even be possible to use a privately stored cord blood specimen for another family member. Statistics and research show that there is a 1 in 2 chance that the baby’s cord blood stem cells would be a match for the biological mother and father and a 1 in 4 chance of being a match for biological siblings.

The practice of collecting cord blood stem cells as part of the birthing process is a procedure that has been in existence since the year 1988. During that year the first cord blood transplant was done, and since then, more than 8,000 transplants have taken place. Today, thousands of parents are using this once in a lifetime opportunity of collecting cord blood stem cells to be available later for possibly treating health problems.

Not until 1995, however was collecting cord blood stem cells made widely available. The cord blood is collected immediately after birth of the baby once the umbilical cord has been cut. The medical caregiver normally collects the specimen.  This blood used to be discarded as medical waste.  The procedure of collecting cord blood stem cells does not in any way alter normal birth-related procedures. The efficiency of collecting a cord blood stem cell sample is dependant on the amount of cord blood that is collected. The larger the stem cell sample amount that is collected, the better its survival rate of cells in transplant. It is possible to choose the collection method for cord blood by either the syringe or gravity blood bag.

So far, more than 25,000 doctors have been collecting cord blood stem cells in more than 3,000 hospitals and birth centers in the US and more than 72 foreign countries. The practice is rapidly increasing and a growing number of doctors and hospitals are using the procedure of collecting cord blood stem cells with advanced training and technological resources.

It is important to note, however, that there is no risk to the child or the mother when collecting cord blood stem cells, as this is done after the baby is born and after the umbilical cord has been clamped and cut. This procedure is painless, safe and easy for both mother and baby, and there is no change whatever in the normal delivery process of the baby. The average amount of time required for collecting cord blood stem cells is about 5 minutes.

Once you have decided to collect and store your baby’s cord blood, a cord blood company must be chosen.  The cord blood company will be responsible for providing the cord blood collection kit, assisting you in arranging for delivery of the specimen to their laboratory, processing and testing the cord blood specimen and ultimately cryogenically storing the specimen for your family.

If you’re an expectant mom, chances are you may have the opportunity to provide a truly valuable service to your family or to somebody else with real medical needs. The service is based on the practice of stem cell preservation. Stem cell preservation is a painless and effortless way to provide life giving cells to someone in need.

You see, at the time of birth, the umbilical cord connecting the mother and baby holds an incredible resource, cord blood carrying stem cells. These stem cells are extremely adaptable, and can be utilized in rebuilding an immune system or a blood system. As the baby is delivered and begins to take its own first breaths, that umbilical cord is severed and the practice of stem cell preservation can begin. Blood is drawn from the umbilical cord, and a short while later is treated under laboratory conditions to a state of deep freezing.

In considering the value of stem cell preservation, imagine the challenges of facing life-threatening diseases. Life suddenly becomes fragile for friends, family, loved ones.  A life threatening disease might sound a little like floating alone in the middle of a deep ocean. However, your life giving experience of becoming a mother can also be a life giving event for someone you may never meet.

Stem Cell Preservation – a Life Preserver

Now think of the relief, the joy, and the exhilaration of being tossed a medical life preserver.  As of 2006, over 8,000 people had received that life-preserver in the way of precious stem cells deriving from cord blood. Stem cell preservation (from cord blood and bone marrow) is proving to be a significant medical healing practice and is helping open doors for treating the likes of leukemia, lymphoma, breast cancer, and Hodgkin’s disease, to name just a few.

How do you think the recipient of a stem cell transplant feels about stem cell preservation? One simple word could characterize this feeling: thankful.

Expectant mothers have the unique privilege of donating umbilical cord blood and contributing to stem cell preservation. The process of stem cell preservation is simple, non-invasive, and free of charge. Please consult with your doctor or midwife before the 34th week of pregnancy. Your decision to look into stem cell preservation could be represent a life preserver to someone who could really use the help.

Expectant mothers in the final few months of pregnancy, probably have heard, or even learned something about, stem cell preservation. Such preservation begins with the gathering of blood from the umbilical cord after your baby’s birth. Within thirty seconds of the baby’s arrival, one of the doctors or medical staff will cut the umbilical cord and draw about 1/3 of a cup of blood from the cord, and then secure it for transport to a nearby cord blood bank. This is the beginning of the process known as stem cell preservation.

The preservation aspect of stem cell preservation is actually quite uncomplicated. It involves storage of the blood and cells in subzero temperatures known as cryogenic freezing. Of course, there is more to stem cell preservation. The samples go through a detailed labeling and identification process, as well as tests for any transmittable diseases. It’s interesting to note that the cryogenic process is so effective that even the oldest cells available (stem cell preservation from cord blood started in 1990) show limited deterioration as they are used today.

You might be wondering what happens when the cells are thawed and issued and just who qualifies to benefit from cord blood stem cell transplants.

Stem Cell Preservation and Tissue Compatibility

Donors are matched to recipients according to six proteins, called Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA), that appear on the surface of white blood cells and other tissues in the body. These six HLA points determine tissue compatibility which leads us to one of the real benefits of cord blood stem cell preservation. As a minimum, only three of the six HLA points need to be a match for a successful transplant. This makes it easier, and less risky, in finding patients with compatible tissues.

The most likely recipients of treatment from stem cell preservation will be those coming out of chemotherapy or radiation therapy; where the healing process starts by eliminating all the cells in the body. Stem cell preservation maintains cells that are highly adaptable and can be used with patients suffering from a number of diseases among them leukemia, different forms of cancer, and Hodgkin’s disease.

From Stem Cell Preservation to Treatment

The new cells supplied by stem cell preservation enter the body through a tube or central line that goes into a vein in the patient’s chest. The transplanted cells move into the spaces inside the bones where they create new marrow. They grow and make healthy new red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Isn’t that miraculous? The human body certainly is a healing marvel, and modern medicine continues to make vital strides in treating even the most challenging diseases.

At the center of this remarkable healing process is stem cell preservation.

Who participates in cord blood storage?

Expectant mothers can get the administrative wheels turning and inquire about cord blood storage. Just ask your physician or midwife. They will surely have some information or links to resources.

What is cord blood storage?

Cord blood storage captures about 1/3 of a cup of the blood from the umbilical cord at the time of a newborn’s delivery. Cord blood contains a very high density of stem cells (70 million in the standard sample size) that can later be used to treat blood and immune system related genetic diseases, cancers and blood disorders. Cord blood storage is the deep-freezing of the cord blood sample in a cryogenic state. The life of the cells is literally frozen, until brought out of that state.

When is cord blood storage done?

The process of cord blood storage starts just after the birth of a newborn when the umbilical cord is clamped and cut. Blood is drawn from the cord and stored in a sterile environment until it can be transferred to a cord blood storage facility. Reinvigorating the cells after preservation does not appear to have any limits. The earliest harvested cells in cord blood storage are over 15 years old now and show no signs of deterioration.

Where does cord blood storage occur?

The umbilical cord is taken at the time of a newborn’s delivery immediately in the delivery room. Cord blood storage takes place at both private and public storage facilities. In the private instance there are fees involved, and contributors can access private storage banks for family members. In the public instance, there is no cost; donation is anonymous, and the bank is accessed by many non-related people, who are compatible with donors’ cells.  However, those stem cells are no longer owned by the family and are available to the general public.

Why is cord blood storage so important?

Cord blood storage provides an invaluable service in the treatment of diseases. For the most part, cord blood stem cells are utilized in transplant medicine to regenerate a patient’s blood and immune system after they have been treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation to destroy cancer cells. The list of diseases where stem cells can assist the healing process is absolutely impressive, and supports the value of cord blood storage. The disease list includes leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, Aplastic Anemia, Sickle Cell Anemia, various other cancers, blood diseases, hereditary/genetic conditions and immune system disorders. In addition, current research on the value of cord blood storage holds significant promise for improving the treatment of some of the most common diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s.

Delivery rooms provide the starting point in the process of cord blood banking

Many people will take the time and make the sacrifice to provide some form of assistance to others in need.  What about the possibility of making a small sacrifice that can potentially rescue someone else from a challenging disease or life-threatening medical condition? Most would make such a sacrifice, and many make such sacrifices every day.

Every day in hospital delivery rooms across the USA and other countries, the practice of cord blood banking is conducted as willing new mothers donate umbilical cords at birth previously used to nourish their newborns. This step is the starting point for cord blood banking – which involves the storage of cells taken from cord blood at incredibly low temperatures (down to -190 degrees). More precisely, cord blood is harvested within a mere 30 seconds of the newborn’s arrival; the umbilical cord is clamped and cut as usual, with the cord being transferred to a lab for cryopreservation. Importantly to this sacrifice for cord blood banking doesn’t cause any discomfort whatsoever for either mother or the new born.

Not a lot of cord blood is required for the storage process – just 75 ml on average (about 1/3 of a cup), but there are a number of ways to process a cord blood unit. Within the cord blood banking realm there are differing opinions on the best method for processing; some separate out the red blood cells and remove them while others keep the red blood cells. Generally speaking, though, both methods have proved to be equally effective.

Is cord blood banking safe?

Before blood from the umbilical cord is put in storage it undergoes viral tests including testing for HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and tissue typing, to insure safety. In addition, the National Cord Blood Program, located in New York, reports that cord blood stored over long periods of time shows no signs of deterioration whatsoever. The longest stored cord blood banking samples are now approximately sixteen years old and have been effectively transplanted just as successfully as the more current specimens.

So, the process is easy, safe and can be stored over long periods of time. The process of cord blood banking has been developed and perfected to today’s current scientific standards. Cord blood banking offers hope to many folks afflicted with blood disorders, immune deficiencies and genetic diseases – all based on the simple thoughtfulness and generosity of a new mom and her baby.

Umbilical cord blood storage is relevant today as research has proven that cord blood, the blood in a baby’s umbilical cord is one of the best sources for adult stem cells. It is used for the re-population of the patient’s bone marrow after a session of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, as well as many other uses. It can be collected immediately after birth and stored for future potential use by the baby, matching siblings or any HLA matched unrelated patient. Prior to these discoveries, cord blood was discarded as biological waste.

Cord blood storage begins by collecting umbilical blood in blood collection bags that hold 250 ml of blood. Anticoagulant is added to the bag to prevent the blood from clotting.  Once the blood is collected, it is sent to the blood bank center for processing, testing and storage.  Research has shown that optimal cells can be recovered if the specimen is processed within 48 hours of collection.  A cord blood company should be utilizing processing methods in which the cord blood is processed in a closed system. This system limits the bacterial contamination of the cord blood.

The first step of cord blood processing lies in the removal of red blood cells to insure stem cell viability.  Each cord blood company utilizes a different method of processing steps ranging from chemical reagents, to centrifuging the specimen, to automation.  The critical cells are then cryogenically stored in liquid or vapor nitrogen systems at a temperature of -190 degrees Celsius.  These stored units should be equipped with electrical power generators in case of a power failure.

Cord blood storage is the preservation of the cord blood taken from the umbilical cord during birth. The reason cord blood is collected is because it is a rich source of stem cells that may prove to be effective in treating many health problems and conditions. This is why families are now considering the benefits of cord blood storage for their newborn.

In fact, with cord blood storage, many families believe they are protecting their child’s future. This is because stem cells can be used for treating a myriad of diseases. Being rich in stem cells, cord blood is considered to be a life saving resource for both your child, and for your entire family. Also, there is no lengthy procedure involved in cord blood storage.

Cord blood storage is a process that is safe, painless and only takes about fifteen minutes. Once this blood is stored, and the child or some other member of the has a source for treatment of leukemia or certain other blood diseases; the stem cells of the blood may, in fact, save their lives.

Cord blood storage is done in two storage methods. It can be stored in ‘full liquid’ which means that that tank that stores the blood is full of nitrogen at a temperature of 190 degree Celsius. The other storage alternative is in ‘vapor’ where nitrogen is not in liquid form, but found in vapor form at a temperature of 130 degrees.

There are pros and cons with each method however the industry generally recommends storing in vapor. Though it was easier to maintain temperature in tanks with full liquid nitrogen, the latest storage tanks have improved so that it is possible to maintain a consistent temperature in the tanks.

In addition to consistent temperature, there have been certain hesitations about cord blood storage in full liquid. This is simply because it is easier and possible for infectious diseases to infect other specimens in liquid.  Once the cord blood specimen is stored, the temperature of the samples are monitored electronically and alarms notify the laboratory personnel in the case of a severe change in temperature.

The discovery of many uses for cord blood stem cells is a great achievement in medical science.  Cord blood banking is considered a potential life saving process.  Cord blood may be used for treating numerous genetic and blood diseases.

Umbilical cord blood has been shown to treat or ameliorate over 40 diseases and disorders including many blood cancers, immune disorders, Lupus, anemia.  Some diseases would not be suitable for the donor themselves but instead would be suitable for a matching recipient.

The field of cord blood research has recently made many new discoveries including successful human clinical trials in the area of Type 1 diabetes, Cerebral Palsy and heart disease.  There are studies continuing in the United States and abroad that include research on Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, spinal cord injuries and stroke.

In addition, cord blood stem cells have a lower risk of graft versus host disease (rejection issues)  when compared to bone marrow transplants therefore allowing for a greater range of finding a donor/recipient.  Cord blood also provides an option that is more affordable, less painful and less invasive than traditional bone marrow transplants.

Considering the benefits of cord blood banking, many expectant couples are opting to collect and store their family’s cord blood to safeguard their family’s future. Couples who cannot afford to pay for private cord blood storage may want to consider donating their cord blood to a public cord blood bank.