For Families

Your Questions Answered

What is cord blood?
Cord blood is the blood that remains in a baby's umbilical cord and in the placenta following delivery.  At Xytex we consider your baby’s umbilical cord blood to be “a lifeline worth preserving” –  not something to be discarded.  Cord blood contains literally millions of stem cells, building blocks that have the potential to save a life in the future.

Why are stem cells so important?
Adult stem cells are found in many places, including bone marrow, circulating blood and umbilical cord blood.  As a rich source of stem cells, umbilical cord blood offers families a “hedge” in the event of a future health issue that would benefit from a stem cell transplant.  When transplanted, stem cells regenerate into red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, and help restore a healthy blood and immune system in those fighting diseases such as cancer or genetic disorders. As the “cornerstone” of blood, organ tissue and the immune system, stem cells can change into other types of cells, including muscle, nerve, bone and organs like the heart and liver. Best of all, it is less expensive to harvest umbilical cord blood for stem cells than other procedures such as bone marrow retrieval – and it is painless for the donor baby. 

Remember, unlike embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, including those from cord blood, are free from controversy and ethical issues.

What is a cord blood bank?
There are two types of cord blood banks:  private and public.  Xytex is a private or “family” cord blood bank, which means that you and your family have exclusive access to your baby’s cord blood in the event of a future medical need.  While your baby’s own (autologous) stem cells would be a perfect match should the donor child ever need them, there is also a higher chance of a good match within the family because HLA antigens (Human Leukocyte Antigens) are inherited genetically. HLA antigens must match between patient and donor for transplants. This is one of the biggest pros for private, family cord blood banking – the better than one-in-four chance for a sibling stem cell transplant match.

When they are publicly donated, cord blood stem cells will be made available to anyone with a medical need who could benefit from a stem cell transplant. Once a child’s cord blood has been donated to a public bank, families may not be able to retrieve the donated sample should they require it for a future need.

What happens with umbilical cord blood that is not stored publicly or privately?
Unfortunately, cord blood that is not collected after birth is usually discarded, thereby losing the only opportunity to save and store valuable cord blood stem cells.

Why should I collect and store my baby’s cord blood?
While saving cord blood is a personal decision that is different for every family, more and more parents are choosing to bank their baby's cord blood not only for current proven applications but for the hope it holds in the future for a growing list of medical conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. Parents want the comfort and security of knowing that, if the need ever arises, their baby's cord blood stem cells are readily available. Banking a baby’s cord blood is particularly important if a family has a history of cancer or genetic disease, or another child with cancer or genetic disease.  Cord blood storage may also offer the best opportunity for a perfect match to a child with only one genetically related parent (via surrogacy or reproductive tissue donation, i.e., sperm or egg donor) or if a parent is adopted.

How is the cord blood collected?
A physician or midwife inserts a needle into the blood vessel in the umbilical cord. Using gravity, the cord blood flows into a special collection bag approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  This special bag contains materials that prevent the blood from clotting.  The kit containing the bag will be picked up by our courier and transferred to Xytex Cord Blood Bank for testing, processing and cryopreservation.

Are there any risks involved with umbilical cord blood collection?
Collection does not interfere with the birth process and does not involve any pain or danger to mother or baby. However, if the delivery becomes complicated, attention is focused on mother and child.  Therefore, in these instances, cord blood may or may not be collected. 

How long can I store my child’s cord blood?
When stored cryogenically within liquid nitrogen containers, cord blood stem cells may be stored indefinitely. Current scientific data has reported viable transplants using cord blood stem cells stored for up to 15 years. However, cord blood research only dates back to the 1970s, so the maximum years of storage for stem cells have not yet been determined. Theoretically, when properly stored, cord blood stem cells have no expiration date.

When was cord blood first used for a stem cell transplant?
In 1988 in France, a patient received umbilical cord blood stem cells for a transplant to treat Fanconi anemia. In the 20 years since then, thousands of successful transplants have been done using cord blood as a substitute for bone marrow.

If my child were to develop a disease such as leukemia, would it be possible to transplant his own stem cells?
Medical research reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology has shown that using autologous stem cells (one’s own stem cells) in a transplant to treat acute leukemia are just as successful as allogeneic sibling transplants.  A stem cell transplant is often necessary to replace the healthy cells in the bone marrow that are destroyed by radiation and/or chemotherapy in treating cancers, such as leukemia.  The stem cells that are transplanted will regenerate and produce new stem cells in the bone marrow to help keep the blood and immune system healthy.

Cord blood is also easier to collect than bone marrow and, when privately banked, is immediately accessible by your family, an important consideration when time is of the essence.

What is the very latest week of my pregnancy that I can decide to donate and still get my kit in time to take to the hospital?
Ideally, you should finalize your plans concerning cord blood storage by the beginning of your third trimester. But even if you decide to make a last-minute decision, we will work with you to facilitate the shipment of your cord blood collection kit in time for your baby’s delivery.  You will also want to discuss your plans with your physician or midwife as soon as you make your decision.

What if my physician or midwife has never collected cord blood before?
Cord blood collection is a very simple process using techniques that are quite familiar to medical professionals. Should your doctor have any questions, Xytex Cord Blood Bank is available for support; in addition, Client and Caregiver Instructions are also included in your collection kit.

Will the hospital where I deliver charge extra if I choose to bank my baby’s cord blood? 
Some physicians will collect cord blood as a free service for their patients, while others charge a fee. Make sure to discuss this ahead of time with your physician so you are fully aware of any possible charges.

I’m having twins, so should I bank the cord blood of both babies?
Even though the chances are very good that one sibling’s cord blood would be an acceptable match for the other, it is still advantageous to bank each child’s umbilical cord blood.  Because we believe strongly in taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Xytex offers special pricing for multiple births.  Please discuss this option with your client service representative when you call us.

Should I need to use my baby’s cord blood, how would it be retrieved?
Hopefully, the need never arises, but if it should, the transplanting physician would contact a client representative at Xytex Cord Blood Bank to make arrangements for necessary testing, release and transfer of your banked cord blood stem cells to a designated hospital. You and your medical team would be able to access your child’s cord blood in a timely manner from anywhere in the United States.