The process of collecting cord blood occurs immediately following childbirth, securing a valuable biological resource for potential future medical use. This blood, which remains in the placenta and umbilical cord, is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). These cells possess the unique ability to develop into various types of mature blood cells, including red cells, white cells, and platelets. The primary value of preserving cord blood lies in its use for life-saving stem cell transplantation.
Cord blood stem cells are currently approved for treating over 80 conditions, such as certain leukemias, lymphomas, bone marrow failure syndromes, and inherited immune system disorders. They can help rebuild a patient’s blood and immune system following treatments like chemotherapy or radiation.
Pre-Delivery Logistics and Kit Acquisition
The process of saving cord blood begins long before the onset of labor and requires a firm decision from the parents. Families must choose between public donation, where the collected blood is made available to any compatible patient worldwide, or private banking, which reserves the blood exclusively for the family’s use. This choice necessitates a commitment well in advance of the delivery date, often during the second trimester of pregnancy.
Once a banking option is selected, the chosen facility provides a specialized collection kit, which must be stored at home. This kit contains all the sterile supplies the healthcare provider will need, including a blood collection bag pre-filled with an anticoagulant solution, a needle, and various sealing mechanisms. Parents must also complete extensive documentation, which includes consent forms and a detailed maternal health history required by regulatory standards.
Parents must inform the entire delivery team—the obstetrician, midwife, and nurses—of the plan to collect cord blood, often by providing them with the bank’s specific instructions. The collection kit must be kept in an easily accessible location, like near the hospital bag, and maintained at room temperature to protect the integrity of the contents. Extreme temperatures can compromise the anticoagulant or the materials within the kit.
The Physical Collection Procedure
The collection itself is performed by a trained healthcare professional, typically the delivering physician or a registered nurse, and takes place in the delivery room. The procedure is non-invasive and presents no risk or pain to either the mother or the newborn. It is initiated immediately after the baby is born and the umbilical cord has been clamped and cut, but before the delivery of the placenta.
To begin the collection, the provider first wipes the surface of the umbilical cord with an antiseptic solution to maintain sterility. A sterile needle, which is attached to the collection bag, is then inserted into the main umbilical vein, the largest vessel in the cord. The flow of blood is primarily driven by gravity.
The collection bag is positioned lower than the placenta to maximize the passive flow of blood into the bag, where it mixes with the anticoagulant. The provider may gently massage or “milk” the cord to encourage any remaining blood to drain. The entire collection process is rapid, usually completed within three to five minutes, and aims to secure the maximum possible volume of blood, which averages about 60 milliliters. Once the flow stops, the needle is withdrawn, and the tubing is sealed using a provided clamp or clip to prevent contamination or leakage.
Handling and Transport After Delivery
Immediately following the collection, the sealed cord blood bag is placed into a biohazard bag, which is then secured within the insulated shipping container provided in the kit. This step is closely followed by the completion of all necessary paperwork, including the labeling of the collection bag with the mother’s hospital identification details. The kit also includes vials for maternal blood samples, which are required for infectious disease testing to ensure the safety of the stored cord blood unit.
Prompt transport is necessary to maintain cell viability. The stem cells must arrive at the processing laboratory quickly, ideally within 36 to 48 hours of collection, before the cells begin to degrade. The parents or a designated family member must contact the cord blood bank immediately, often within two hours of delivery, to arrange for courier pickup.
The shipping container is specifically designed with insulation and often contains a temperature logger to ensure the sample is maintained within a controlled range, typically between 15°C and 25°C (59°F and 77°F). Specialized medical couriers, who are trained in the handling of biological materials, are dispatched to retrieve the kit directly from the hospital. This ensures a documented chain of custody and rapid delivery to the laboratory for final processing and cryopreservation.