What happens to your baby’s cord blood?
Processing and Storage
Where is my baby’s cord blood stored?
It will be stored in our purpose-built long-term storage facility in Auckland, New Zealand. Our facility is licensed by Medsafe – the Ministry of Health regulatory arm under cGMP. CordBank is the only licensed cord blood collection, processing and storage facility in New Zealand.
Temperature information
Do the stem cells have to be kept at room temperature before being couriered to CordBank?
Yes, the cells should be kept at room temperature. Please do not refrigerate the kit, expose it to freezing temperatures or leave it in a closed vehicle or car boot.
Special Arrival!
What happens to the cord blood when it arrives at CordBank?
Your baby’s cord blood is tested for cell viability before being processed in our sterile laboratory and stored at -196º Celsius.
Length of time
What happens to the cord blood after the 18 years of storage?
When your child turns 18, they are legally regarded as an adult and are able to sign contracts in their own name.
Long-term Viability
Are cord blood stem cells still viable after all this time in storage?
The New York State Health Department Guidelines for cord blood banking state that umbilical stem cells can be stored indefinitely under liquid nitrogen. The policy states, “There is no evidence at present that cells stored at -196°C in an undisturbed manner lose either in vitro determined viability or biologic activity. Therefore, at the current time, no expiration date need be assigned to cord blood stored continuously under liquid nitrogen.” 17
Research has demonstrated efficient cell recovery of cord blood cells that have been cryopreserved for 23 years.18 All science involving cryogenic storage of cells also indicates that the cells should remain viable indefinitely.
After the umbilical cord blood collection, parents phone our dedicated courier who will come to the hospital or birthing centre to collect the cord blood kit.
