How Does a Cord Blood Bank Store Cord Blood?

Cord blood banking is becoming more and more of a common practice. Cord blood banking refers to the process of keeping and storing the blood that is still in the placenta and the umbilical cord after birth. Because cord blood is an abundant resource of stem cells, many families choose to keep their cord blood. Stem cells contribute to the process of development in organs, tissues, and other body systems. They can also turn into other kinds of cells. In addition, stem cells are the basic component of the immune system. Many diseases, such as leukemia, can be treated by stem cells.

Using a cord blood bank to store your baby's cord blood makes it so that you have these cell available in case your baby has a problem later on that can be helped with cord blood stem cells. They can also sometimes help to treat a variety of conditions or diseases that may affect a parent or a sibling.

Cord blood is collected in just a few minutes, and it does not interfere with your baby's delivery. The cord blood may be extracted either by using a syringe to withdrawal the blood from the placenta and the umbilical cord, or the umbilical cord might be lifted and the blood allowed to drain into a bag. Cord blood is generally collected within fifteen minutes after birth.

The facility in which cord blood is stored is called a blood bank. There are specific guidelines that banks need to follow in order to handle and store cord blood. Cord blood banks freeze and store cryogenically the cord blood. The cost of banking cord blood is typically between $1,000 and $2,000 initially, with ongoing storage costs of somewhere around $100 per year on top of that.

In addition to storing cord blood privately, there are many public cord blood banks at which cord blood can be stored and then used for whoever needs it. Typically, these public banks are donation-based, and don't offer payment, nor do they collect a fee, for storing cord blood.

Each pregnancy, expectant mother, and unborn child is different. Your pregnancy may not progress the same as the information found here. The information here is based on the average pregnancy. It's not meant to be a replacement for any advice your may receive from your doctor. If you have any concerns about your pregnancy, we advise you to contact your doctor.