Cord blood collection is a routine procedure. However because it is performed straight after the birth it can be a demanding situation both for the mother and the attending medical staff. During the birth the obstetrician's first priority is the well-being of the mother and child. That's why it is possible that in certain cases the doctor is unable to collect cord blood or the amount of collected blood is too small. Even more rarely the blood becomes contaminated by bacteria. There is nothing we can do in situations like this as we're dealing with live biological material. The amount of collected cord blood depends on factors such as the size of the baby, size of the placenta, length of the umbilical cord, the amount of leftover blood in the placenta etc.

During cord blood processing the cord blood volume and the total amount of nucleated cells (which stem cells are part of) is determined. Small sample is also sent for microbiological examination. The number of nucleated cells determines the maximum weight of the patient it could be use for.  This is set by international criteria stated in the EBMT Handbook 2004: Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Around a month after the collection we will send you a document Cord Blood Processing Results. This contains information about the number of nucleated cells, weight of the patient for whom it is possible to use, the sterility of blood etc. Based on these results you can decide whether the collected cord blood fulfils your ideas of cord blood and whether you wish to continue storing it for your child.