Cord Blood Collection- An Organized Process

There is no health risk to either the baby or the mother in cord blood collection. The doctors collect the cord blood after delivery and save the cord blood only after a signed consent from the mother. There is no cord blood collection in case of any complication at the time of delivery.

After the baby is born, the umbilical cord is held tightly, which disconnects it from the baby. Thereafter, the blood is drained from the umbilical cord and the placenta. This is done by trained staff. Different hospitals may have different methods to obtain the blood, but the basic technique remains the same. The staff draws the blood with the help of a needle and collects it in a blood bag. The entire process takes about ten minutes or even less.

The cord blood collection method depends upon the kind of delivery, i.e., caesarean section or vaginal delivery. Before collecting the umbilical cord blood, the doctors collect the mother’s blood.

Mother’s Blood Collection

1.    The doctors carry out a venipuncture process for the collection.

2.    The red top tubes and the lavender top tubes are filled.

3.    A label containing the name of the mother, date, and SS# is put on the tubes.

The venipuncture process can be carried out before the delivery. The ideal time is during the admission blood draw.
For collecting cord blood, the parents-to-be have to order a specific kit for the purpose well in advance from a cord blood bank.

Cord Blood Collection After Vaginal Delivery

The one essential thing during the cord blood collection process is sample sterility. The doctors should leave no stone unturned to get the maximum volume of the blood. The first step is to double clamp the umbilical cord, about an inch or less, spaced out at the infant's abdomen. Cord blood collection does NOT mean compromising the standard delivery practice. The chief concern always is SAFE DELIVERY.

In case the baby is placed on the abdomen of the mother, the umbilical cord should be secured and cut BEFORE doing so. The staff can then cut the cord between the clamps and remove the baby. Immediately after the delivery and before the removal of the placenta, the doctor should wipe off the cord with wipes containing 70 percent alcohol. This should be followed by applying betadine at the point of needle insertion (this point is also called as collection site)  to ensure sterility. The collection site should be right above the clamp on the cord.

The needle cap is removed by giving a gentle twist-and-pull, and the needle is inserted into the cord at the collection site and held securely.Holding the needle in place allows the blood to drip into the bag, as much as possible. The collection generally takes around three to five minutes, or maybe more at times. The blood is allowed to flow until the bag is at least half-full. It is good to have the maximum volume of blood because less than one-fourth filled bag poses a problem in transplantation.

In case the vein collapses, the doctors may have to work their way up the umbilical cord with additional insertion points. The doctor makes sure to wipe each collection site with alcohol and betadine.

After the cord blood collection process is complete, the collected blood is poured into the bag through a tube. The protected needle is cut off and disposed in a proper sharps container. The staff then clamps the collection tubing doubly, using cord clamps. In order to mix the cord blood and the CPD anticoagulant, it is necessary to invert the bag with gentle strokes quite a number of times.

Cord Blood Collection After A Cesarean Section

Before the cesarean, the constituents of C-Section Adaptor Kit are put on the sterile field. The constituents include a 33cm extension set, a 16-gauge needle, and a male adaptor. The needle and the adaptor are connected to the extension set.

During delivery, the standard practice of delivering the baby should be followed. After delivery, the doctor double clamps the umbilical cord. The extension is positioned in such a manner that the adaptor is able to extend off the sterile field. The needle is inserted into the male adaptor right at the non-sterile point of the extension set. Then the extension set needle is pierced into the umbilical vein to start the collection process. The bag is allowed to get half-full with blood to facilitate adequate transplantation. The entire process takes about five or more minutes.

After the collection of cord blood, the needle is disposed off and the bag is clamped twice with the help of cord clamps. It is advisable to invert the bag several times mildly so that the CPD anticoagulant and the cord blood are mixed thoroughly.

NOTE: in case the placenta is expelled spontaneously prior to the completion of the collection process, or in case it is required to remove the placenta at once, the collection process can be started or continued after the removal of the placenta. Elevation of the placenta helps in getting more volume of blood collection. It is important to ensure that only the fetal part of the placenta is accessed.