There are many misconceptions surrounding cord blood stem cell banking. This week, as cord blood awareness month continues, we’ll take a look at some of the most common misconceptions and address some FAQs.
Cord blood banking is something many parents in the UK know little about, because of this there can be many misunderstanding about cord blood procurement, cord blood storage and even how cord blood is used.
Fact: Cord blood banking is not routinely available in hospitals in the UK. While there are 10 hospitals in the UK who accept umbilical cord blood donations for public use, cord blood banking is not routinely available for either public or private banks. Private, family banks remain the best way to ensure your baby’s cord blood can be stored. To ensure you can bank your baby’s cord blood you need to book the service prior to your baby’s delivery. Cells4Life has collect cord blood samples from over 200 NHS and private hospitals.
Fact: Banking your baby’s cord blood with Cells4Life is compatible with a wide range of birth types. Every pregnancy is special and Cells4Life understands that while the way you give birth to each of your children may vary it is nonetheless a very personal experience. That’s why our cord blood banking service is compatible with a range of births; allowing families to give birth in the way they choose with the peace of mind that their baby’s cord blood can still be stored. We can procure cord blood from NHS and private hospital births, home births, “natural” births, caesarean births, multiple births, and more. Cells4Life are even able to accommodate mothers who wish to delay clamping their baby’s umbilical cord.
Fact: Cord blood banking doesn’t require extra people to be present while you give birth. For mothers who choose to bank their baby’s umbilical cord blood, little needs to change in terms of who is present during the birth of the baby. While a phlebotomist is needed to attend the birth to procure the cord blood from the umbilical cord, it is not necessary for them to be in the room at all. In fact the cord blood isn’t collected until after the baby and placenta have been delivered. The placenta is then taken away to another area so that the cord blood may be procured. This causes minimal disruption to mother and baby; many women tell us that they didn’t even notice their placenta being taken away!
Over the course of the week we will look at some of the misconceptions surround cord blood banking and try to debunk some of the myths. We will also look at frequently asked questions and enable families to feel more confident about cord blood banking for their baby.
If you have any further questions you can find more information here. Alternatively you can call us on 01444 873950 to speak to a friendly member of our team who will happy to help you.
