Cord Blood Banking FAQs

Parents Eye Technology to Treat Blood Diseases

More parents are choosing to drain and store stem cell-rich blood from their babies' umbilical cords and placentas at birth hoping to increase treatment options if the child later is stricken with a blood disease. San Bruno, Calif.-based Cord Blood Register, which operates the nation's largest private cord-blood bank, launched operations more than a decade ago when few knew of cord blood's potential health benefits. Today, the company has about 500,000 blood packets at its nondescript, 80,000-square-foot building near the Tucson, Ariz., airport. Click here to read the rest of the article

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Cord-blood Bank Expands Exposure

Arizona parents now must address another question at birth: whether to save, store or discard their baby's umbilical cord blood. More parents are choosing to drain and store stem cell-rich blood from the umbilical cord and placenta at birth. Blood storage has become a boon industry for private companies such as Cord Blood Registry, which operates the nation's largest private cord-blood bank in Tucson. CBR launched operations more than a decade ago when few knew of cord blood's potential health benefits. Today, the company has about 500,000 blood packets at a nondescript, 80,000-square-foot building off Interstate 10 near the Tucson airport. And the company expects to collect even more blood, thanks in part to aggressive marketing and new state laws that require doctors to inform parents about the process at or before birth. "There are 4 million births in the U.S. alone, and about 3.8 million (cord-blood units) are thrown in the trash after birth. It is simply discarded as medical waste," said Tom Moore, CBR founder and CEO. Click here to read the rest of the article

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7 Tips: Cord Blood Banking - Peter Wallander

Are you pregnant? If you are, then you have undoubtedly seen advertisements for banking your babies cord blood. Cord blood banking has become a hot topic with parents-to-be recently. The reason is simple; the companies that store the cord blood tout the advantages to saving this once in a lifetime supply of stem cells. While the benefits of saving the cord blood from your newborn could be numerous, there are some things that should be taken into consideration. This article will help to provide you with a place to start on your journey for more information. Click here to read the rest of the article

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Stem Cell Research -- A Little Truth Wouldn't Hurt

Stem cell research is one of the major issues in many campaigns across the country in this election year, and it is being demagogued like few others. In the interest of truth in politics it’s worth noting that there are two kinds of stem cells research -- one involving embryonic stem cells (ESC) and the other using adult or cord-blood stem cells. The overwhelming number of candidates, Republican and Democratic, favor research on stem cells gathered from adult and core-blood sources. But many, mostly Republicans, oppose ESC research because harvesting the cells requires killing a living human embryo, and in many cases result from cloning human embryos for the sole purpose of harvesting the stem cells from the embryos killed in the process. Click here to read the rest of the article

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Don't Junk That Umbilical Cord

(This is an old article from Wired Magazine about cord blood)

A new study has found that blood from a newborn's umbilical cord can rebuild a healthy blood supply in adults with leukemia and other fatal blood diseases.

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland say the technique works even if the donor and recipient are not a perfect match, which is required for a bone marrow transplant. They also say the technique is safer than a bone marrow transplant from a donor that matches the patient but is from a different family. Click here for the rest of the article

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How Does C-Section Affect the Cord Blood Collection Process?

C-section collections are drawn directly from the cord, or your doctor can deliver the placenta into a sterile tray and then draw from the fetal side of the placenta. Studies comparing vaginal vs. cesarean delivery show that the collection volumes are comparable.

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Does The Hospital Need To Provide Any Materials for Collection?

No. Usually, you will receive a collection kit for your baby's cord blood stem cells. Your kit contains all the items your caregiver will need to collect your baby's cord blood. However, you must remember to take the kit with you to the hospital when you deliver.

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Is There Any Risk to My Child or Myself During Collection?

No. The cord blood is collected after your baby has been born and the umbilical cord has been clamped and cut. The cord blood that is being collected is blood that would routinely be thrown away. The collection is painless, easy, and safe for mother and baby. Your caregiver will not alter their normal birthing process in any way, except to collect your baby's cord blood. The average time for cord blood collection is about 5 minutes.

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Is The Amount Collected Important?

Yes. Larger stem cell samples have shown better survival rate in transplant.

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How Is Cord Blood Collected?

Cord blood collection banks usually offer a choice of either the syringe or blood bag collection methods.

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