Banking Process
Although every hospital is different, you should make your decision before 34 weeks of pregnancy. Not all hospitals have cord blood collection kits on hand, thus, some cord blood banks must supply kits to the hospital on a regular basis. Prior to collection, you will also need to complete a consent form and provide information about your medical background. Private banks require payment of the collecting fee before the delivery of your child. It is free if you store your cord blood at a public bank. Sadly, not all hospitals take cord blood for public banks.
How is cord blood collected?
No matter whether had a vaginal delivery or a c-section, cord blood can be collected immediately after birth and is still useful for future treatments. The technique of collecting is painless and secure for both mother and child.
Here’s how it’s done:
The umbilical cord is clamped and then cut after delivery by either your partner or a medical professional. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) recommends a delay of 30 to 60 seconds between delivery and cord clamping for healthy, full-term babies; the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends one to three minutes; and many midwives and physicians may recommend a delay of two to five minutes, especially for premature babies. Delaying the cord clamping allows more blood to pass from the placenta to the baby, which has several advantages, including lowering the risk of anaemia. Discuss your options with your healthcare practitioner in advance if you intend to postpone cord clamping.
A needle is inserted into the umbilical vein on the portion of the cord that is still linked to the placenta after the cord has been cut and cleansed by your healthcare practitioner. The blood is collected in a bag. On average, 50 to 200ml can be gathered. It takes less than ten minutes to complete the process.
Some family cord blood banks may also accept a portion of the umbilical cord and possibly the placenta in addition to the cord blood since these tissues contain stem cells that are distinct from those found in cord blood and researchers are investigating their potential applications.
When it arrives at your cord blood bank, the cord blood is carefully packaged and analysed to ensure that it complies with medical quality standards for safe usage. After receiving approval, the blood is prepared for long-term storage and cryopreserved (preserved by freezing at a very low temperature that prevents cellular activity).
When considering this procedure, many parents worry about whether the stem cells in their baby’s cord blood will still be usable in the future, whether it be for a member of their family or someone requesting cord blood from a public bank. According to scientists, cord blood that has been frozen should remain alive for decades because cryogenically preserved cells have no expiration date.
Will collecting my baby’s cord blood interfere with delivery?
No, collecting your baby’s cord blood won’t affect your labour or delivery in any ways. The procedure will be carried out after the baby has been delivered and the umbilical cord has been clamped and cut, and it is so quick and painless that parents can rarely notice the process happening while holding and bonding with their new baby.
As previously indicated, most birth plans can include cord blood collection; however, if you choose this option, be careful to talk about your plans with your doctor or midwife beforehand and when you review your plan.
Who can collect?
The person collecting the cord blood may be an obstetrician, Doctor, a nurse, experienced at doing a sterile blood draw. The technicians (phlebotomists) who draw your blood for testing need the same training to extract blood from the umbilical cord. Don’t be afraid to inquire about the level of experience of the technician handling your case; you’ll undoubtedly receive a superior cord blood collection.
Incord Step By Step Process of Cord Blood Collection
and Cryopreservation:
- Book the collection kit online. We recommend registering 4-6 weeks prior due date.
- The kit will be shipped right to your hospital 2-3 days before the day of delivery.
- Once the delivery date is scheduled, you can give us a call for pickup.
- Post-delivery, clamp & cut the baby’s umbilical cord within 1-10 mins.
- Safely collect and pack the umbilical cord blood in the collection kit.
- Transport the collected cord blood to the facility within 24 hours for Processing and Cryopreservation.
- Transport the collected cord blood to the facility within 24 hours for Processing and Cryopreservation.
- More than 50 tests are conducted to evaluate sample quality
- With the help of PrepaCyte-CB technology, the cord blood is processed to harvest the maximum number of stem cells.
- The stem cells are preserved in liquid nitrogen Vapour-Phase Storage containers at the lowest temperature.
