Cord Blood Banking

The process of storage of blood from the umbilical cord and the cord tissue

For most parents, the process of collection, processing and Cryopreservation of stem cells from the umbilical cord and the cord tissue of your newborn is something new. The more you learn about the storage of blood and cord tissue, more will realize how easy that is making the decision. Below is valuable information about your baby's cord tissue and blood storage. If you still have any questions, our service advisors to the customer are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The blood of the umbilical and woven lace collection

Umbilical cord blood is collected immediately after the birth of the baby, but usually before the placenta has been expelled. Once the placenta is expelled from umbilical cord tissue is removed.

The only opportunity to collect blood and tissue of the umbilical cord stem cells is at the time of the birth of your baby. There is absolutely no pain or risk to the mother or the baby during the collection process since the blood is taken from the cord once it has been gripping and cut. The harvesting of stem cells from umbilical cord tissue and blood is safe both for vaginal deliveries and caring by c-section.

To take blood from the umbilical cord and the cord tissue collection, the healthcare provider uses the collection Kit provided by Cryo-Cell. To receive the kit preparations in advance must be made. The cord blood is extracted from the umbilical cord in the collection bag of blood that comes with the kit. The tissue of the cord is short umbilical cord after draw blood and placed in a container which has a clinical substance for transportation. The blood of the mother should also be extracted at this time, for analysis of certain infectious diseases as required by the regulations. Blood from the umbilical cord of the baby and the mother is then packed in special materials supplied for transport. Finally, parents call to arrange collection and delivery of the blood and tissue of the cord to the Cryo-Cell laboratory through a medical courier service.

The cord blood processing

Within 36 to 48 hours of its removal, the blood is processed, analyzed, separated and their stem cells are stored cryogenically (freezing). But the process is by no means simple.

First of all, an affiliated laboratory which is CLIA certified and registered with the FDA, analyzes the blood of the mother for syphilis, hepatitis, HTLV, HIV and CMV. These tests determine the State of any infectious disease, and allow that the cord blood can be potentially used by the family, and not only way autologous. In the case that any infectious disease screening tests are positive, other confirmatory tests will be carried out automatically. The cost of initial testing is included in the registration fee you pay. If confirmatory tests are required they are more separate. Every sample of blood or umbilical cord tissue is also analyzed to confirm the absence of microbiological contamination.

Then, Cryo-Cell processes of umbilical cord blood using a method of starch hydroxyethyl (Hetastarch) to reduce the number of red blood cells, concentrating the nucleated fraction of white blood cells, which contains stem cells. These cells are mixed with DMSO (cryoprotectant) and dextran, and are stored in a special Cryo-bag compartmentalized. Cryo-Cell uses a proven medically to prepare stem cells from their newborn for storage. The cord tissue is processed into pieces of fabric together and is similar to a cryopreservative cord blood cells cryopreserved. Both the blood from the umbilical cord and the cord tissue are packaged securely to provide greater extra protection against crosscontamination during storage.

Be aware that the classification of human tissue (HLA) is not routinely performed at the time of processing, but this scan is necessary to confirm the identity of the cells, either that these will be used for a member of the family or to the donor.

The blood of the umbilical cord and the cord tissue cryopreservation

To store the valuable cells mother of Cryo-Cell clients uses compartmentalized special cryo-bags. The bag includes a sample of 20 ml and 5 ml and three segments for testing, and is wrapped in double way for extra protection. To store the cord tissue we use vials designed for storage of cryopreservation and give a double wrap as additional protection. A technique called "controlled freeze rate" is used to prepare cells and tissues for storage in the long term. Then bag is housed in a protective tape and placed in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen for cryogenic preservation (from freezing) and lace fabrics vials are stored in a separate freezer also in the phase of liquid nitrogen vapor. Our storage conditions are closely monitored to control security and temperature, which includes an emergency infrastructure, a diesel engine generator, a great support of supply of liquid nitrogen, video surveillance and a secure bunker which is accessed with a key card. Once the stem cells and tissues are stored, parents, as guardians of the child, have control over their use and disposal. Initially, Cryo-Cell will not release cells mother without the consent of the parents. However, once the child reaches legal age, control passes to his hands.

It is believed that stem cells can be criopreservadas with long-term success, perhaps decades, but still have not passed enough year to test the absolute extension of time. However, a recent study on the stem cells of the umbilical cord in Indiana University has proven its viability after 23.5 years of cryogenic storage. In addition, the bone marrow has been stored for decades and it has remained viable - there is no reason to believe that this would not be the case of the blood from the umbilical cord and the cord tissue.

Cord blood banking

While awaiting the arrival of your baby, parents should take a lot of decisions. Therefore, if you heard about the existence of banks blood from umbilical cord, it is possible that you ask what is preserving the blood from the umbilical cord of a newborn in one of these banks and if it would be or not suitable in your case and in your family.

About umbilical cord blood banks

Umbilical cord blood banks are responsible for collecting and storing the blood contained in the interior of the umbilical cord after the birth of a baby (umbilical cord part of the placenta that is responsible for transporting nutrients to the fetus).

Umbilical cord blood contains hematopoietic stem cells (from which all blood cells are formed), which have the potential to be used to treat diseases that require transplants of cells mother (also known as "bone marrow transplantation"), such as some types of leukemia or lymphoma, aplastic anemia, severe cases of sickle cell anemia (sickle cell) and combined immunodeficiency severe.

The first successful stem cell transplant took place in 1988, when French researchers collected blood from the umbilical cord of a newborn and administered it to his brother for 5 years affected by a Fanconi anemia, a severe type of anemia that causes skeletal anomalies.

There are two types of banks whose function sewn in preserving umbilical cord blood:

• Public banks are responsible for collecting umbilical cord blood donated for research or for anyone who need it use it. Usually it's a completely free service for donors. After the baby is born, the contained in their umbilical cord blood is collected under strict anonymity and is sent to a public bank in order to use it later to save the life of another child. If you choose this option and, later, your child or another family member develops a disease that requires a transplant of stem cells as treatment, you may not use the previously donated blood to the Bank because all donations are anonymous.

• Private banks retain the blood of the umbilical cord for the exclusive use of the family. This service is associated with a cost. Families who have a medical history of illnesses that may require transplants of stem cells are that most consider this possibility. Much less often, people without such background family physicians, choose to keep the cord blood of their newborn son in a private bank if they could use it one day if your child or other family member fell ill. However, this practice is not recommended because the price of this service is high, and the odds that a family member ends up using that blood are very low.

Like public blood banks and hospitals from blood banks, cord blood banks are regulated by the food and drug administration of USA Administration. USA (FDA), which has developed criteria that govern the collection and conservation of this blood type.

Why is umbilical cord blood important?

Until the seventies of the 20th century, both the placenta and the umbilical cord in any delivery is discarded. But at that time, researchers discovered that the blood in the umbilical cord of the newborn allowed to provide the same type of that bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells. And they began to collect and store umbilical cord blood.

What are hematopoietic stem cells? It's primitive cells (or stem) found mainly in the bone marrow and that can evolve at any of the three types of blood cells that contains our blood: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Umbilical cord stem cells also have the potential to evolve into other types of cells in the body.

Some serious diseases, such as some types of childhood cancers, haemotological (or blood diseases) and some immune disorders, require radiotherapy and chemotherapy to eliminate sick body cells. Unfortunately, these treatments also removed many "good" cells along with the bad, as healthy stem cells residing in the bone marrow.

When this happens, some children can benefit from a transplant of cells from a donor whose cells are compatible with the receiver's. The transplantation from a donor hematopoietic stem cell a child sick allows these cells to produce new, healthy blood cells, thus increasing the ability of the patient to manufacture its own blood cells and promoting your immune system response.