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Cord Blood Banking OverviewThis overview will detail all the steps involved in banking your baby's cord blood with FamilyCord. All our procedures have been accredited and validated and are critical in successfully providing cord blood banking services. The main steps in banking your baby's cord blood are:
EnrollmentEnrolling with FamilyCord is very simple. Call our toll free number at 800-490-CORD (2673), fill out our online enrollment form, or download the Enrollment Packet. A $150 deposit is due at the time of enrollment in order to cover the cost of enrollment and the cord blood collection kit. The rest is not due until after your baby's cord blood is processed and stored. You will receive your cord blood collection kit in 2 business days after your Enrollment Packet has been received. In addition, FamilyCord provides your physician with written instructions and a training video once you enroll in our program. If you fax your enrollment forms, please mail us the signed originals. Although same-day enrollments are usually possible, we recommend that you enroll at least 4 weeks before your due date. Take the Cord Blood Collection Kit to the HospitalWe recommend you keep your cord blood collection kit with your hospital luggage as a reminder to bring the collection kit with you to the hospital. Your baby's cord blood collection kit contains everything the childbirth professional will need for the collection along with detailed instructions. If any assistance is required by you or the hospital staff, call our pager at 800-986-5057 available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. A representative will return your call immediately. Cord Blood CollectionThe physician, nurse, or midwife will perform the collection after your baby has been delivered, before or after the delivery of the placenta. The umbilical cord blood is collected in a special blood bag using the industry standard gravity bag method. We advise your physician or other medical professionals to fill the collection bag with as much cord blood as possible or to collect until such time that blood flow into the collection bag has stopped. Once the cord blood is collected, the physician clamps off the bag, labels, and places it in our uniquely designed collection kit. Although collecting the cord blood poses no risk or discomfort to the mother or baby, the delivering health care provider will have absolute discretion to collect the cord blood and will not be obligated to proceed with the collection if other medical priorities exist. Return of cord blood to FamilyCordAfter the collection has been completed, the physician or labor and delivery staff will return the collection kit to you. The collection kit should be labeled and ready to be picked up and shipped to FamilyCord. Do not refrigerate the cord blood. The cord blood must be kept at room temperature from the time of collection to the time of processing. Our unique collection kit was designed to prevent the cord blood from going below or over the acceptable temperature limits to ensure viability. FamilyCord has contracted with AirNet Express, a specialized medical courier, to pick-up your cord blood at your hospital room 24/7. Offering the best and most efficient service in the field of cord blood banking, AirNet has a private fleet of planes in addition to commercial flights. All you have to do is make one call to AirNet at 888-888-8463 informing them that you are ready for pick up. AirNet's toll free number is printed on the collection kit. We recommend that you designate a friend or family member to notify AirNet within 2 hours of the collection. Soon after the pick up, AirNet will notify us that your collection kit is in route to our laboratory. In addition, AirNet also offers insurance coverage of $1,000. Contact a cord blood educator at 800-490-CORD (2673) for more details. Processing, Testing and StorageThe cord blood must be processed with 48 hours of collection. Once received in our laboratory, your baby’s cord blood will be immediately tested, processed, and finally stored. FamilyCord will contact you by phone after the unit is stored to inform you of the status of your cord blood. A preliminary report will be sent within days of processing and a complete report and certificate of storage will arrive within three to four weeks. Cord blood is processed using a red blood cell depletion method to remove most of the red blood cells. DMSO, a cryoprotectant, is added to the cord blood prior to freezing. Initial freezing is accomplished using a "controlled-rate freezer." This freezer gradually freezes the cord blood over a period of approximately one hour. It also provides a record of the entire freezing process. The cord blood is then stored in a dual compartment, FDA approved, cryocyte bag and submersed in liquid nitrogen. Each cryocyte bag is placed in an additional, slightly larger plastic sheath that is sealed using a special heat sealer. This over wrap provides added protection to your cord blood by providing another barrier to cross-contaminants. It will also help contain the cord blood in the unlikely case that any breakage occurs. The bag is held in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen during the quarantine phase. Once all required tests are completed and results found acceptable, the cord blood is transferred to a liquid nitrogen storage tank. We perform tests on both the umbilical cord blood and the maternal blood sample. All maternal blood is tested for the following diseases:
The following tests are done on the umbilical cord blood:
Contact a cord blood educator online or call 800-490-CORD (2673) for more information or details in any of the above steps. |
There is only one opportunity to collect your baby's precious stem cells. Call us at 800-490-CORD (2673) or contact a cord blood educator online to schedule a free personal consultation. |
