The Process of Cord Blood Collection

Cord Blood banks collect and store stem cells after the birth of the children from the umbilical cord. The reason for this collection and storage is to use in transplants for patients that have different life-threatening diseases, such as heart or liver diseases, genetic disorders and blood disorders. The process of cord blood collection is explained here.

Collection of this blood can take place no matter if the baby is born via vaginal or cesarean delivery. The blood bank where you signed your consent form and filled out the questionnaire about your family health history will provide a special kit for collecting cord blood stem cells. That kit is used before the disposal of placenta, which is also used for collecting blood and cells. Although the cesarean delivery is a more complicated process for the collection, cord blood collection may still be made. In this case the amount collected would be smaller.

The collection of this blood is done within 15 minutes after the birth and is not a painful procedure. It is a simple and safe procedure for the mother and the baby, and is done by the doctor or the nurse. There are two ways that cord blood collection can be done: syringe or bag method. If the syringe method is used, the blood is drawn from the umbilical cord after it has been cut. This method resembles having ones blood drawn. The bag method of cord blood collection yields as much as possible. The umbilical cord is raised, causing the this blood to flow into the bag.

Some healthcare providers say that a closed-system bag is the most intelligent, providing less chances of bacterial contamination. The blood collection usually doesn't last more that 5 minutes. Make sure the syringe or bag has a label with the unique number of your baby. The collected blood should be processed by specialists in the laboratory within 48 hours and stored properly.

Cord blood collection is performed by trained and responsible healthcare providers. These providers take special courses of educational and practical resources in order to provide effective collection. The most effective and safe methods are used when dealing with the syringes or other containers in order to avoid contamination. Collection has been available for any family since 1995 and is very safe.

If one plans on using a cord blood bank or opting for cord blood collection, some questions should be asked about the method used, the time needed for the collection and the number of containers needed for your baby's cord blood stem cells.

cord blood collection [http://www.cordbloodinfo.org/cord-blood-collection.html]
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