Frequently Asked Questions
Cord Blood Stem Cells
- What is cord blood?
- What makes umbilical cord stem cells different from other sources?
- How umbilical cord stem cells can be used in treatments today
Cord Blood Banking
- What is cord blood banking?
- What are the cord blood banking options?
- What payment options are available?
- How does cord blood banking work?
- How long can I store my baby’s cord blood sample?
The Enrollment Process
- How do I get started in cord blood banking?
- What happens on the day of the delivery?
- What needs to be done during the time period between the registration and the collection of the cord blood?
The Collection Process
- Is cord blood collection possible for Caesarean or Home Birth?
- How is the umbilical cord blood collected?
- Is there any risk to my baby or the mother?
- When is the cord blood sample collected?
- Why is the maternal sample needed and what testing is performed?
- Will either my baby or I feel any discomfort during the collection?
- If I choose to delay cord clamping can I still do cord blood banking?
Shipping and Handling
- What is the process if I want to pay via credit card?
- What should I do if I want to cancel my order?
- Are cryostorage tanks capable of operating without electricity?
- Can the sample be used more than once?
- How do you transport the sample (what packaging)?
- How far is Cells4Life from the Airport?
- How is my baby’s cord blood transported to the Cells4Life laboratory?
- How the sample is stored: the vapour phase of liquid nitrogen or in liquid nitrogen?
- Should I store cord blood for all of my children?
- What is HLA Tissue Typing?
Whole Cord Blood and Volume-Reduced Storage
- Are there any treatments that will only be available to me if I store whole cord blood?
- Is there a downside to storing whole cord blood?
- Is the an upside to storing volume-reduced cord blood?
- What is the benefit of storing whole cord blood compared to volume-reduced storage?
- What is the difference between whole cord blood storage and volume-reduced storage?