The cord blood process is simple.  Upon receipt of your enrollment forms and enrollment fee, CORD will send you a collection kit.  The kit contains all the materials that the medical professional delivering your baby will need for the collection of your child's cord blood.  The kit also contains all the shipping materials you will need to safely send the blood directly to our laboratory.

Cord blood can be collected regardless of the birthing manner (naturally or by cesarean section, whatever is medically necessary).  After the delivery of your newborn, and either before or after the delivery of the placenta, the portion of the umbilical cord still attached to the placenta is clamped and cleaned.  The needle from the collection bag is inserted into the umbilical vein and the blood is allowed to drain into the collection bag.  The collection bag contains an anticoagulant, which prevents the blood from clotting.

It takes approximately ten minutes for all the blood to be collected.  Once the collection is complete, the specimen is packaged and, within 24 hours of the delivery, is sent to our laboratory by an overnight express carrier.