Umbilical Cord Blood Storage - How's it done?

Cord blood is the blood that is found in the umbilical cord of a new born baby and has been found to be rich in stem cells. The stem cells are capable of developing into new cells and act like the repairing agent inside the body. Cord blood can be donated for the purpose of collection, processing and storage to the blood banks. The cord blood can be used to filter out the stem cells and put to future use like curing diseases like leukemia and cancers.

The umbilical cord as well as the placenta contains blood and this blood is rich in stem cells which can be used for the purpose of stem cell research and treatment. If a parent wishes to donate the cord blood then have to contact a public or a private cord blood bank; they are entrusted with the job of coming, collecting and storing the cord blood.

The cord blood is collected soon after the birth of a baby by clamping the umbilical cord a both ends. After this a pipe is inserted to draw blood from the veins of the cord. This blood is then collected in bags and syringes to be taken to the cord blood bank. In the cord blood bank the cord blood is processes and the stem cells are extracted. Now, the stem cells are cryogenically frozen and stored for future use.

In the case of a normal delivery, collection of cord blood is pretty easy compared to that in a cesarean case.  The collection of blood in a cesarean delivery is done only after the uterus of the mother is sutured, as medics give more priority to the health of he mother and child. The private cord blood banks store the cord blood for the use for the baby or someone from their family, whereas a public cord blood bank can use it anybody.