How are stem cells stored? How can you donate your baby's cord blood to a public bank? What happens when the cells are needed for transplant? Here are the answers.

What Is Cord Blood Banking?

Umbilical cord blood is human blood that can be obtained from the placenta and umbilical cord shortly after birth. Cord blood banking is a procedure in which this blood is collected, processed, frozen, and stored for future medical use.

Cord Blood and Stem Cells

Cord blood is of medical importance because it contains blood-forming (hematopoietic) stem cells. These primitive, undeveloped cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types.

When a stem cell divides, each new cell can either remain a stem cell or specialize into a different cell type. Stem cells can theoretically divide without limit to replenish other damaged cells, and in doing so, can potentially act as a repair system for the body.

The stem cells in umbilical cord blood are not quite as versatile as the controversial embryonic stem cells, which can give rise to any tissue type of the body. Still, cord blood stem cells, or CBEs, appear to have more flexibility in specialization than do adult stem cells.

How Is Cord Blood Stored?

After umbilical cord blood has been collected, it is placed into sterile bags or syringes and quickly transported to a cord blood bank. Then the stem cells are separated from the other formed elements in the blood. Once processed, the CBEs are frozen in liquid nitrogen.

How Long Can Stem Cells Be Stored?

Cryogenic storage of stem cells should, theoretically, allow the cells to remain viable indefinitely. However, cord-blood research has only been ongoing since the 1970s, so study of the actual viability of stored stem cells is ongoing and still being evaluated.

Where Is Cord Blood Stored?

Parents have the option of storing their newborn's cord blood at a private cord blood bank or donating it to a public cord blood bank.

Private Cord Blood Banks

There are numerous for-profit organizations that will, for a fee, store cord blood for the exclusive use of the family of the donor. Private banking is sometimes recommended when there is a family history of specific genetic diseases.

The cost of private cord blood banking is approximately $2000 for collection and approximately $125 per year for storage, as of 2007.

Public Cord Blood Banks

Government sponsored banks store cord blood for use by the general public, and, in the United States, matching cord blood to patient is typically accomplished through the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP).

The public cord blood bank does not charge the donor. However, the OB/GYN may still charge a collection fee, although many OB/GYNs choose to donate their time.

Want to Bank Your Baby’s Cord Blood?

If you want to privately bank your baby’s cord blood, you must obtain a collection kit from the cord blood bank that you chose to utilize. The kit typically contains all the items that your obstetrics team needs to collect cord blood. If you would like to donate your baby’s cord blood to a public bank, contact the NMDP.

More Information

For more information on stem cells, see the Stem Cell Information page of the National Institutes of Health, the science education website Science Prof Online, or other Suite101 articles, including Umbilical Cord Blood Banking, Collection of Umbilical Cord Blood and Types of Human Stem Cells.