Some families feel it is too speculative or cost prohibitive while others see it as a nominal cost for peace of mind in the form of "bio-insurance". However you can decide what is best for your family. Cord blood stem cells may literally be lifesaving to your child or family member. Likewise, there is no guarantee that the cells will ever be used.

The newborn is a perfect genetic match and may be able to use the cord blood. Cord blood transplants have been used for the newborn's sibling, mother, father and cousins. The chances of using the cord blood diminish as the relationship becomes further apart.

Yes, since the blood can be used in around 50% of the cases for siblings, it is important to store cord blood for each baby. Saving cord blood for your children provides related sources of stem cells for potential use and increases the likelihood of a useful match for other siblings. Each child's cord blood is banked separately even in the case of identical twins. Cord blood collection could also be used as a form of "bio-insurance" against future illnesses requiring stem cell replacement.

In theory, there is no limit as to how long they can be stored. The current data indicates that stem cells stored for 15 years can still be successfully used for transplantation. The New York State Health Department guidelines for cord blood banking states that cord blood stem cells can be stored indefinitely in liquid nitrogen (-196 degrees C).

Yes, the procedure for collecting cord blood is painless and poses no threat to the baby or the mother. Additionally, the collection of cord blood does not interfere with the delivery process. Following standard post-delivery care, the blood remaining in the umbilical cord is collected into a sterile, specially designed cord blood collection bag through a wide bore needle. The blood flows into the bag by gravity until it stops, after which the collection is complete. The blood bag is clamped, sealed and labeled. The procedure usually takes 4-6 minutes. Two tubes of maternal blood are also drawn.

No, CryoCord will provide you with a collection kit, which has everything you and your obstetrician or nurse midwife needs to collect the cord blood. 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 nurse. 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.

In CryoCord, processing of cord blood is performed as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours after collection. In the laboratory, the cord blood undergoes a volume reduction process. The stem cell enriched cord blood is then combined with a cryoprotectant (DMSO), formulated to protect the cells from damage during the freezing and subsequent thawing cycles, and frozen through a controlled-rate freezer. The frozen cord blood is then cryopreserved in a cryo-storage container in vapour phase of liquid nitrogen. Cryopreservation is frozen-state storage of biological materials at extremely cold temperatures. Cord blood cells remain frozen at -196 degrees Celsius until needed.

No. Unfortunately not all cord blood collected is stored. A small number of the cord blood will not be stored due to cord blood contamination, abnormal maternal blood serology result and low blood volume (approximately 1 in 25 cases are discarded for various reasons).

No. Hepatitis B virus is one of the most infectious virus known to human and can result in liver cancer. One of the only few cases ever reported in cross infection in liquid nitrogen storage is Hepatitis B.

Although it is not possible to offer such an absolute guarantee, we are the only cord blood bank in Malaysia that performs Colony Forming Unit (CFU) recovery routinely on thawed sample. This is thought to be the gold standard test in validating cryostorage system quality.