Cord Blood Collection
How is it done?
Immediately after the baby's birth, a physician or nurse will collect one bag of umbilical cord blood, which is approximately 150 ml. or 5 oz.
The cord blood will be collected after the umbilical cord has been cut and either before or after the placenta has been delivered. Therefore, there is absolutely no risk to you or your baby.
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Additionally, the physician will draw three tubes of the mother's blood for testing.
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You, or your partner, will notify us that the cord blood collection is done; then a medical courier will be sent to the hospital.
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A medical courier will bring the cord blood collection kit containing the cord blood and the mother's blood to M.A.Z.E. Cord Blood Laboratories.
In the lab, the technician will:
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Reduce the volume of the blood to about one quarter of the collected volume (approximately 25 ml or 63 oz.) by removing a large proportion of the red blood cells and plasma (liquid portion of the blood). The red blood cells and plasma do not need to be stored as they do not contain stem cells.
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Analyze the cord blood to determine how many transplantable cells are present and create a report with this information. This information will be useful in case you need to use the cord blood later.
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Add cryopreservative (special chemicals to help in the freezing process) to the remaining stem cell collection.
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Slowly chill the bag at a rate of 1º centigrade (C) per minute until it reaches the optimal freezing temperature of -130º C (-320º Fahrenheit).
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Transfer the stem cell collection into storage.
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Run the mother's blood through a wide variety of tests to ensure that there are no diseases present at the time of delivery that could have transferred to the child's cord blood.
M.A.Z.E. Cord Blood Laboratories provides physician instructions for collecting cord blood.
Questions? Ask a cord blood expert
