How and When is Cord Blood Collected?
During pregnancy every woman will be asked whether she wants to donate her umbilical cord blood. After a patient has agreed and the baby is born, the umbilical cord is clamped, cut and separated from the baby. While waiting for the placenta to deliver, blood is collected from the placenta by needle through the umbilical cord and drained into a standard blood donor collection bag. The procedure is painless and non-invasive and does not interfere with the birthing process. And, if there is any concern about the safety of mother or baby, collection does not occur. Next, the donated cord blood unit is taken to the stem cell processing laboratory based at Saint Luke’s Hospital, the only one of its kind in Kansas City, Mo. In the lab, the stem cell unit is tested to be sure it is free of infectious diseases or other medical concerns. It is analyzed to confirm that it contains an adequate number of blood-forming stem cells for transplant. Then cord blood is typed, frozen in a liquid nitrogen freezer at Saint Luke’s for a brief period until it is shipped to St. Louis where is it stored and listed on registries that are searched by transplant facilities worldwide which are looking for a match for one of their patients. There is no charge to the donor for the collection, processing, shipping, or storage process. For information about cord blood donation, call 816.932.2246