Answers to Commonly-Asked Questions

Cord blood, or umbilical cord blood, is the blood remaining in your child's umbilical cord following birth. It is a rich, non-controversial source of stem cells that can only be collected at the time of birth.

Stem cells are the building blocks of our blood and immune systems. They are found throughout the body, including in bone marrow, cord blood and peripheral blood. They are particularly powerful because they have the ability to treat, repair and/or replace damaged cells in the body.

For most families, banking their baby's cord blood offers peace of mind... should a need ever arise, their family’s stem cells will be readily available. Naturally, there are those who bank because of family history or because there is an existing medical need for a cord blood transplant.

Stem cells are used via transplants to help cure, treat and repair damaged blood and immune systems. This is especially valuable when the systems have been damaged by radiation or chemotherapy.

Here is a list of the diseases stem cells have been successful in treating.

Researchers are now looking to cord blood potential as treatment therapy for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

The collection process is easy and painless, and does not interfere with the delivery or subsequent care for your newborn. After your baby is born, but before the placenta is delivered, your obstetrician or midwife cleans a four- to eight-inch area of umbilical cord with antiseptic solution and inserts the blood bag needle into the umbilical vein. The blood flows into the bag by gravity until it stops, after which the collection is complete. The blood bag is clamped, sealed, and returned to you for labeling. Three tubes of maternal blood are also drawn for testing.

There is only one time that cord blood can be collected: at the time of birth.

There is no risk to mother or child during the cord blood collection process. The baby does not need to remain in the birthing area during the procedure, which is painless and non-invasive.

No, CordTrust will supply you with a collection kit, which has everything you and your obstetrician or certified nurse midwife will need. Simply bring this kit with you when you go to the hospital for your delivery.

The collection process is simple, and can be performed by any doctor or certified nurse midwife.  We will instruct them in the specifics of drawing blood from the umbilical cord, though it is very similar to other types of blood collection.

The collection process proceeds essentially the same way with a cesarean section as it would in a natural birth. CordTrust’s collection method can be used for both vaginal and C-sections.

After your baby's cord blood is collected, you need to complete all steps of the Patient Checklist including contacting CordTrust’s designated courier to arrange pick-up of the unit from your hospital bedside. Click here to view Patient Checklist.

Upon receipt of your baby's cord blood unit, our lab will conduct tests to provide an assessment of the total volume collected and the concentration of stem cells, as well as check for bacterial and fungal contamination. In addition, the mother's blood samples will be tested for infectious diseases. After testing, your baby's cord blood unit is cryopreserved.

We store your cord blood unit at CordTrust’s Processing Laboratory, a state-of-the-art processing and cryopreservation facility. This facility is FDA registered, AABB accredited, and CLIA certified.

Yes, CordTrust will accept cord blood units currently stored with other cord blood banking companies. The owner of the unit is responsible for any fees associated with the transfer.

It takes just a few moments to enroll with CordTrust. Call Toll Free 1-866-877-1838

CordTrust treats all information that you give us with strict confidentiality.

In the event of a multiple birth, CordTrust has discounted twin and triplet pricing available - just call for details.

The biological mother's written consent for collecting the baby’s cord blood must be arranged through your adoption agency. CordTrust is happy to take any extra steps necessary to help facilitate permission and to ensure strict confidentiality to comply with any contact restrictions.