What is Cord Blood Banking and How It is Done

When I first heard about cord blood banking, my first question is “What is it for?”, then I found out that Cord blood promises to basically change the way we cure deadly complications and illnesses. If you have no idea yet what cord blood banking is, below are FAQ’s on CordLife…

 1. What is cord blood banking?

–          Cord blood banking involves the process of storing stem cells – agent responsible for replenishing the blood and immune system – collected from the umbilical cord immediately after birth. The stem cells have the ability to develop into new and healthy red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

 2. What is the difference between private cord blood banking and public cord blood banking?

–          Private cord blood banking is storing the baby’s cord blood for his or her own future use or use by a family member should the need arise. Alternatively, public cord blood banking involves donating a baby’s cord blood for potential use by a patient at large in need. When a family donates their child’s cord blood, they are relinquishing all their rights to own these cells.

 3. How is cord blood banking done?

–          Cord blood is collected after the baby is born and the umbilical cord has been clamped and cut. Once it has been collected, the cord blood is transported to a cord blood processing and cryopreservation facility for specialized handling. Stem cells will be extracted from cord blood using the world’s first and only fully automated cord blood processing system, Sepax ®, followed by a step to gradually freeze down the stem cells before they are finally stored in a liquid nitrogen tank at -196°C permanently.

 4. Does cord blood banking pose any risk to the mother or to the baby?

–          No, because the cord blood is collected after the baby is born and the umbilical cord is clamped and cut. The collection is painless, easy, and safe for both the mother and the baby.

 5. What diseases can be treated with cord blood?

–          Stem cells have been proven to successfully treat diseases including cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, blood disorders such as thalassaemia as well as immune deficiencies and metabolic disorders.

 6. How can cord blood be useful for the family?

–          Researchers say stem cells from cord blood may be used to treat diseases of the family members since the chance of locating a cord blood match within the family is 60 percent higher than a bone marrow match, includes fewer complications, and has improved medical outcomes.

 7. Must siblings have the same blood type in order for cord blood to be used by any of them?

–          No, Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) or tissue matching is used to determine donor and recipient compatibility – and it is irrespective of blood types.

 8. Is cord blood banking available in the Philippines?

–          Cord blood banking is available at CordLife, the Philippines’ first world-class cord blood processing and storage facility which is located at the UP-AyalaLand TechnoHub Diliman, Q.C. Meanwhile, stem cell transplants are performed in The National Kidney and Transplant Institute, St. Luke’s Medical Center, Asian Hospital and Medical Center. These hospitals have the necessary facilities and expertise of medical practitioners to perform cord blood banking transplants.

 9.  How long can cord blood be stored?

–          Research shows that cord blood stem cells can be stored indefinitely as long as they are continuously stored in liquid nitrogen. With the required temperature, the stem cells will not lose its viability or biological activity.

Now, will you consider banking your children’s cord blood?

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1 comment / Add your comment below

  1. I’m with you and didn’t bank the blood for etheir child. If we had the option to donate it, I would’ve chosen that but it wasn’t an option at our first hospital or with a home birth of #2. Again, such great info!On a completely different note I’m unsure if you’d heard of Dr. Burzynski, but would love your input on his therapy from a trained chemist’s perspective. From what I gather, he discovered a strand of peptides that people w/ cancer lack in blood & urine. He extracts the peptide from healthy people’s urines and administers them to cancer patients and supposedly cures the cancer.

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