Cord Blood

What is cord blood?

Cord Blood, also known as Umbilical Cord Blood, is the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord after the birth of the baby. Cord Blood is generally collected after the delivery but prior to the expulsion of the placenta. Patients are asked to sign a consent form. And Cord Blood is collected within the first five minutes of birth if the parents have signed up for it. Since Cord Blood is collected post-delivery, it is generally considered harmless for both mother & child.

Different Ways to Collect Cord Blood are:

A blood bag is hung lower than the mother and gravity draws blood into the bag.
The collector can use a syringe to draw the blood out from the umbilical vein.
The trained collector takes the placenta to his work area, where blood from the umbilical cord & placenta is drained.

Cord blood, or placental blood, is the blood left behind in a baby's umbilical cord after it's been cut. This blood contains many types of stem cells, including hematopoietic stem cells — which have the capacity to turn into any other kind of blood and immune system cells.

Facts About Cord Blood:

Cord Blood Banking is also known as Stem Cell Banking.
Constant research has come up with more and more uses of Cord Blood in saving lives and treating diseases.
It is said that Cord Blood is being used to treat more than 80 diseases.
Research suggests that the siblings have a 25 % chance of being a match, while parents have 100 % chances. Even extended family members may benefit from the Cord if banked.
Stem cells were first discovered in the umbilical cord in 1978.
It was in the year 1988 that the first Cord Blood/ Stem Cell transplant was done.

Common Questions

Q. Is Cord Blood meant for both natural birth as well as C-section?
A. Yes, since the umbilical cord is cut only after the baby is born, it is meant for both. The process is safe and harmless. However, caution is always advised.
Q. Can the parents take the decision of Cord Blood without the doctor's approval?
A. It is always advisable to speak to your doctor or caregiver before taking any such decision, even if you have decided to store it in a private bank.
Q. Where is Cord Blood stored?
A. There are multiple options for storing Cord Blood. It can be public cord banks, private cord banks, and direct donation banks.
Q. Is there a risk or pain involved when Cord Blood is collected?
A. No, there is absolutely no pain involved as the blood is harvested when the umbilical cord is cut. However, we would always advise you to check and confirm all the processes and procedures with your doctors and take personal advice.
Q. How soon after birth should Cord Blood be collected?
A. It is always better to harvest the flood within the first five minutes as otherwise, only a small amount of Cord Blood will be collected.
Q. What are the Importance of Cord Blood?
A. Cord Blood was once considered waste, but not anymore. According to studies, it is advisable to store cord blood as it contains blood-forming stem cells that are considered highly important in treating life-threatening and debilitating diseases in immediate family members, who are a match. This is why Cord Blood is also called Regenerative Medicine. According to medical research, Cord Blood has been used to treat cancers, tumors, and metabolic diseases, among others.