FAQs

Processing & Banking

Cord Blood Banking and Processing - FAQs

Where are my baby's cord blood stem cells stored, and how do I know they are stored safely?

Storing Your Cord BloodYour baby's cord blood will be stored at Cord Blood Registry's state-of-the-art laboratory and storage facility, which is located in Tucson, Arizona, one of the safest cities in the nation in terms of risk from hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, winter storms, and tornados.1 Our 80,000-square foot laboratory is the largest cord blood processing facility in the world with some of the most advanced technology in the industry. The lab currently has the capacity to safely store cord blood for more than five million newborns.

Our processing, quality-control, and quality-assurance metrics are in accordance with FDA guidelines, and we are accredited by the AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks) and certified by CLIA (a federal program to ensure quality laboratory testing). CBR's storage technology system provides the most secure, long-term protection available for your baby's stem cells.

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Is there anything unique about your processing method?

Yes. With CBR's exclusive CellAdvantage® system, every detail of our process has been diligently developed, resulting in the best technology available for collecting, processing, and storing a newborn's stem cells. The combination of CBR's new collection bag, proprietary dry heparin anticoagulant (which helps preserve the cord blood during transport to the lab), and superior processing technology, improves our ability to save every stem cell possible for your family. In fact, CBR saves more cord blood cells for families, which is important because having more stem cells for treatment can improve medical outcomes if the cells are ever needed for transplant.

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Are your processing methods and results published?

CBR has presented data about our processing methods at several medical and scientific conferences:

  • Praught M, Turner T, Brown H. Impact of anticoagulant and time from collection to processing on cord blood cell viability and count. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Society for Cellular Therapy, Philadelphia, PA, 2010
  • Praught M, Pulse-Earle D, Brown H, Harris D. Post-thaw viability of umbilical cord blood stored at a single cord blood bank. Presented at the AABB Annual Meeting and TXPO, New Orleans, LA, 2009
  • Harris D, Swingle K, Brown H, Praught M. Mass balance analysis of an automated cord blood processing system. Presented at AABB Annual Meeting and TXPO, Montreal, Quebec, CA, 2008
  • Harris D, McGaffey A, Brown H. The effect of collection bag anticoagulant on umbilical cord blood stem cell yield. Presented at AABB Annual Meeting and TXPO, Montreal, Quebec, CA, 2008
  • Rosenthal J, Brown H, Harris D. Stem cell recovery following implementation of an automated cord blood processing system in a high volume laboratory. Presented at the Joint Annual Meeting of the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, San Diego, CA, 2008

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How do you protect my baby's cord blood stem cells against potential contamination from other samples?

Each client sample is suspended in vapor-phase cryogenic isolation, which protects your family's cells and eliminates the risk of cross-contamination from other samples that can occur in liquid-phase storage.

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How long can cord blood stem cells be stored in liquid nitrogen?

According to the New York State Health Department guidelines for cord blood banking,1 cord blood stem cells can be stored indefinitely under the proper conditions.

Reference:
1. Linden JV, Preti RA, Dracker R. New York state guidelines for cord blood banking. Journal of Hematotherapy. 1997;6:535-41.

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Will I receive confirmation that my baby's cord blood has been stored successfully?

When you provide CBR with your email address, you will receive instant notification the moment your baby's cord blood is received at our lab, and you will also be contacted by phone within seven business days after it has been processed. Your baby's Certificate of Deposit will be available through your online account three weeks after the cord blood has been received. This certificate can be viewed and printed for your records.

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How do I know that my baby's cord blood will not be confused with someone else's?

Your baby's cord blood ID is ensured through a triple identification system:

  1. The first is a unique identifier (bar code). When you enroll with CBR, your baby's collection kit is assigned a bar code, and this same identifier always remains with your baby's cord blood kit, paperwork, and sample.
  2. The second identifier is a client ID label, which is permanently attached to the storage bag. Each sample is encased in an outer protective layer to ensure the barcode never detaches from the sample.
  3. Third is the storage location of your baby's unique sample. This information is stored in our computer system, which is backed up daily via optical disk and a hardcopy system.

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What federal or state guidelines or regulations do you follow?

CBR's processing, quality-control, and quality-assurance metrics are in accordance with FDA guidelines in addition to being accredited by the AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks) and certified by CLIA (a federal program to ensure quality laboratory testing). In addition, we are licensed in the states of New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, and California (currently the only states requiring "special licensing").

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If my family ever needs the cord blood sample, how do we retrieve it?

Should the need arise, Cord Blood Registry will work with your physician to make arrangements for confirmatory testing, release, and transportation of your baby's stem cells to a designated hospital.

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How much experience does CBR have in providing cord blood for use in treatment?

CBR has more experience providing cord blood for use in treatment than any other family bank. To date, we have helped more than 150 families use their cord blood stem cells for lifesaving transplants and other therapies. All of the cord blood units released for client use have been viable—the ultimate validation of our processing and storage methods.

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Banking cord blood does not guarantee that the cells will provide a cure or be applicable for every situation. For inherited genetic conditions, the child will not be able to use his or her own stem cells. A matched sibling's stem cells would be the first choice. Ultimate use will be determined by the treating physician. Treatment for brain injury and juvenile diabetes is experimental and currently requires the use of your own cord blood. Medical treatments using family banked cord tissue are in early research and are not available today; there is no guarantee that therapies will be developed in the future.
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