The Cord Blood Banking Process
The Umbilical Cord Blood and Cord Tissue Banking Process
For most parents, the cord blood process, which includes collecting, processing and preserving their newborn’s umbilical cord blood and cord tissue stem cells, is a new one. The more you learn about cord blood and cord tissue banking, the more you’ll realize how simple the process is.. Below is valuable information about banking your baby’s cord blood and cord tissue stem cells. Should you still have any questions, our Client Service Advisors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
How Cord Blood Banking Works
Cord Blood and Cord Tissue Collection[1]
The cord blood process begins with your healthcare provider collecting the cord blood from your newborn’s umbilical cord immediately after birth, but generally before the placenta has been delivered. After the placenta is delivered the cord tissue is collected. The moment of delivery is the only opportunity to harvest a newborn’s stem cells from cord blood and cord tissue. There is absolutely no pain or risk to the mother or child during the collection process since the blood is taken from the cord once it has been clamped and cut. The cord tissue is removed once the placenta is delivered. The stem cell collection for both cord blood and cord tissue are safe for both vaginal and cesarean deliveries.
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To collect cord blood and cord tissue, a healthcare provider uses the Cord Blood and Cord Tissue Collection Kit supplied by Cryo-Cell; advance arrangements will need to be made. Cord blood is drawn from the umbilical cord into the blood collection bag that comes in the kit. Cord Tissue is cut from the umbilical cord after the blood is drawn and is placed in a container of transport media. The mother’s blood will also be collected at this time, to be tested for certain infectious diseases required by regulations. Both the baby’s and mother’s blood are then packaged in the special shipping materials provided. Lastly, parents call to arrange for pick-up and delivery of the cord blood/cord tissue to Cryo-Cell’s laboratory by a medical courier.
Click here for Healthcare Provider Collection Kit Instructions
Click here for Parent Collection Kit Instructions
Cord Blood Banking Process
Within 36 to 48 hours of collection, the cord blood is processed, tested, separated and its stem cells cryogenically stored (frozen). But the cord blood banking process is by no means simple.
First, an affiliated laboratory, that is CLIA-certified and FDA-registered, tests the mother’s blood for syphilis, hepatitis, HTLV, HIV and CMV. This testing regimen determines the infectious disease status, and allows the cord blood to potentially be used for family use, not just autologous (self) use. In the event that any of the infectious disease screening tests are positive, confirmatory tests will be automatically performed. The cost for initial screening tests is included in your enrollment fee. Should confirmatory testing be required it will be billed separately. Each cord blood/cord tissue specimen is also tested to confirm the absence of microbiological contamination.
Then, Cryo-Cell processes the cord blood utilizing a hydroxyethyl starch (Hetastarch) method to reduce the number of red blood cells, concentrating the nucleated white blood cell fraction, which contains the stem cells. These cells are mixed with DMSO (the cryoprotectant) and Dextran, and stored in a special, compartmentalized cryobag. Cryo-Cell uses a medically proven process to prepare your newborn’s stem cells for storage. The cord tissue is processed in tissue pieces and cryopreserved similar to the cord blood cells with a cryopreservative. Both the cord blood and cord tissue are over-wrapped for extra protection against cross contamination during storage.
Note that human tissue
(HLA) typing is not routinely performed at the time of processing, but would be necessary to confirm identity whether it is used for a family member or for the donor.
Cryogenic Cord Blood and Cord Tissue Banking
To store or bank our clients’ precious stem cells, Cryo-Cell uses special, compartmentalized cryobags. The bag includes a 20ml and 5ml sample and three segments for testing, and is over-wrapped for added protection. To bank the cord tissue we use vials designed for cryopreservation storage and they are over-wrapped for additional protection. A technique called "controlled-rate freezing" is used to prepare the cells and tissue for long-term storage. Then the bag is housed in a protective cassette and placed in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen for cryogenic (frozen) preservation and the cord tissue vials are stored in a separate freezer also in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen. Our storage conditions are closely monitored for security and temperature, which includes an emergency infrastructure, a diesel powered generator, large back-up supply of liquid nitrogen, video surveillance and key card access storage bunker. Once the stem cells/tissue are banked, the parents, as the child’s guardians, have control over their use and disposal. Initially, Cryo-Cell will not release stem cells without the parents' consent. Once the child reaches legal age, however, control passes to him or her.
It is believed that stem cells can be successfully stored long term, perhaps decades, in a cryopreserved form, though sufficient years have not passed to prove the absolute length of time. However, a recent study of cord blood stem cells at Indiana University demonstrated its viability after 23.5 years of cryogenic storage. What’s more, bone marrow has been stored for decades and has remained viable—there is no reason to believe that the same would not be true of cord blood and cord tissue.
Request more information about banking process.
Cryo-Cell’s umbilical cord tissue service provides expectant families with the opportunity to cryogenically store their newborn’s umbilical cord tissue cells contained within substantially intact cord tissue. Should umbilical cord tissue cells be considered for potential utilization in a future therapeutic application, further laboratory processing will be required.
In regards to umbilical cord tissue stem cells, Cryo-Cell’s activities for New York State residents are limited to collection, processing, and long-term storage of umbilical cord tissue stem cells. Cryo-Cell’s possession of a New York State license for such collection, processing and long-term storage does not indicate approval or endorsement of possible future uses or future suitability of these cells