How Cord Blood Banking Works: A Step-by-Step Guide for Expecting Parents

Last Updated on May 26, 2025 by Caesar

When preparing to welcome a new baby into the world, parents face many decisions—from choosing the right car seat to creating a birth plan. One important yet often overlooked option is cord blood banking. This medical advancement gives families the opportunity to preserve potentially life-saving stem cells from their baby’s umbilical cord blood, which can be used in the treatment of various diseases.

If you’re an expecting parent, this guide will walk you through how cord blood banking works, why it matters, and what to expect from start to finish.

What Is Cord Blood Banking?

Cord blood banking is the process of collecting and storing the blood left in a newborn’s umbilical cord and placenta after birth. This blood is rich in hematopoietic stem cells, which can develop into various types of blood and immune system cells. These cells are used in the treatment of over 80 medical conditions, including:

• Leukemia
  
• Lymphoma
  
• Sickle cell anemia
  
• Certain immune deficiencies
  
• Some metabolic disorders

Cord blood can be stored privately for personal family use or donated to a public bank for use by patients in need of a stem cell transplant.

Step 1: Understanding the Options

Before you decide to bank your baby’s cord blood, it’s important to understand the two main types of banking:

1. Private Cord Blood Banking

• The cord blood is stored for your family’s potential future use.
  
• Requires an enrollment fee and annual storage fees.
  
• Offers peace of mind for families with a medical history of blood disorders or other transplant-eligible diseases.

2. Public Cord Blood Banking

• Cord blood is donated and made available to anyone in need of a transplant.
  
• Free to the donor family.
  
• Contributes to a shared public health resource.

Which Should You Choose?

Families with a known genetic or medical predisposition may opt for private banking. Others may choose public donations to potentially help someone else. Some parents do both, depending on eligibility and availability.

Step 2: Choosing a Cord Blood Bank

If you decide on private banking, the next step is choosing a reputable cord blood bank. Look for:

• FDA registration and accreditation from organizations like AABB or FACT.
  
• A track record of successful transplants.
  
• Transparent pricing and storage policies.
  
• Options for long-term storage.

Many banks also offer cord tissue banking, which preserves additional types of stem cells found in the umbilical cord tissue.

Public banks are usually affiliated with hospitals, research institutions, or nonprofit organizations and follow rigorous standards for collection and storage.

Step 3: Enrolling During Pregnancy

Cord blood banking requires advance planning. Most banks recommend enrolling during the second trimester of pregnancy. Here’s what this involves:

• Filling out medical history and consent forms.
  
• Choosing between cord blood only or cord blood plus tissue banking.
  
• Receiving a collection kit in the mail (for private banks) or arranging collection through a participating hospital (for public banks).
  
• Notifying your obstetrician or midwife of your decision.

Enrolling early ensures that all parties are prepared on delivery day and that you have the collection kit ready to go.

Step 4: Collection at Birth

Cord blood collection is simple, painless, and safe for both mother and baby. It happens after the baby is born and the umbilical cord is clamped and cut. Here’s what the process typically looks like:

1. Delivery of the baby. Once your baby is safely delivered and the cord is cut, your healthcare provider collects the blood.
   
2. Umbilical vein extraction. A needle is inserted into the umbilical vein on the cord, and blood is drained into a sterile collection bag.
   
3. Volume and labeling. Typically, 40–120 milliliters of cord blood are collected, labeled, and placed in a temperature-controlled container.
   
4. Cord tissue collection (optional). If you’re banking cord tissue, a small segment of the cord is collected separately.

This process usually takes 5 to 10 minutes and does not interfere with standard birthing procedures or bonding time.

Step 5: Transport and Processing

Once the cord blood is collected, the next steps are transport, processing, and cryopreservation:

For Private Banking:

• The collection kit is picked up by courier (or overnight shipped) to the lab.
  
• At the lab, the blood is processed to separate the stem cells from plasma and red blood cells.
  
• Viability tests are performed to assess stem cell count and quality.

For Public Banking:

• Processing is done by the affiliated public facility.
  
• Units that meet certain criteria are stored for potential transplants.
  
• Units that do not qualify for transplant may be used for research (with consent).

Cryopreservation:

• The stem cells are suspended in a cryoprotectant solution.
  
• They are then frozen in liquid nitrogen at -196°C.
  
• Cord blood can remain viable for 20+ years under proper storage conditions.

Step 6: Storage and Future Use

After processing, your baby’s cord blood is stored in a secure cryogenic facility. In private banking, you’ll receive a certificate and documentation including:

• Stem cell count
  
• Collection date
  
• Storage ID
  
• Contact information for future use

In the future, if a family member requires a stem cell transplant, the cord blood can be requested, thawed, and transported to the treating hospital.

In public banks, stored units are listed on national and international registries such as Be The Match, making them accessible to transplant centers worldwide.

Benefits of Cord Blood Banking

Medical Potential

Cord blood stem cells are already used to treat serious conditions and are being studied in clinical trials for:

• Type 1 diabetes
  
• Cerebral palsy
  
• Autism spectrum disorder
  
• Spinal cord injuries

Genetic Matching

Stem cells from cord blood are more adaptable than bone marrow and have a lower risk of causing rejection. A child’s own cord blood is a 100% match for themselves and has a 25% chance of matching a sibling.

Non-Invasive and Readily Available

Unlike bone marrow donation, cord blood collection is painless, risk-free, and the cells are immediately available if needed.

Things to Consider

While cord blood banking has undeniable promise, it’s important to weigh these factors:

• Cost: Private banking can cost between $1,500–$3,000 upfront, with annual fees of $100–$200.
  
• Storage duration: While stem cells can last for decades, long-term viability is still an ongoing area of study.
  
• Usage likelihood: Statistically, the chance of a child needing their own cord blood is estimated to be 1 in 2,500 to 1 in 200,000, though this may change with advances in regenerative medicine.

Questions to Ask Your OB or Midwife

If you’re considering cord blood banking, start by asking your provider:

• Does the hospital participate in public cord blood donation?
  
• Can you collect cord blood for private banking at this facility?
  
• Is delayed cord clamping compatible with cord blood collection?
  
• How much experience does your team have with collections?

Being informed allows you to make a confident and timely decision.

Final Thoughts

Cord blood banking is a forward-thinking decision that could one day provide life-saving treatment for your child or another person in need. While it may not be right for everyone, it’s a valuable option to consider as part of your birth planning process.

Whether you choose private storage or public donation, taking action now ensures that these powerful stem cells are not discarded and are preserved for the future. In the world of modern medicine, that little bit of blood could make a big difference.