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Before you decide to store cord blood in a private cord blood bank, you must consider the pros and cons of storing cord blood as well as the limitation and risks of using cord blood. In addition, you should pay attention to the courier service, laboratory standard, the personnel involved in the collection and storage of cord blood and continuity of service. The following questions can help you know more about the quality of a cord blood bank:
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Courier
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- How long would it take to transfer the cord blood from hospital to the laboratory?
- Is the transportation and storage of the cord blood under appropriate temperature and security?
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Laboratory/ storage facility
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- Would the cord blood bank issue any storage or analytical record? What kind of information would be included in the record?
- Does the cord blood bank have its own storage facility, or it has to rely on a third party to provide storage facility?
- Has the storage facility been granted relevant accreditation or certification?
- Are the precautionary measures of the laboratory sufficient to ensure the handling and processing is safe and free from error (e.g. wrong identification, contamination, etc.)?
- Does the storage facility have back-up systems to ensure the facility can operate properly in case of power failure?
- Is the security system of the storage facility sufficient?
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Personnel
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- Is the cord blood handled by qualified and trained personnel during the whole process of collection, storage and release?
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Continuity of service
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- If a cord blood bank suddenly closes down, how would it affect the cord blood that I have stored there?
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If you would like to obtain more information about storage of cord blood, please refer to “Useful Links for Cord Blood Banking”.
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