For treatments that use cord blood stem cells, a key predictor of success is the number of stem cells that are available for transplant or infusion. That’s why ViaCord developed a state-of-the-art collection system to preserve the most cells possible – and why expectant parents should ask about and understand the collection process as they decide which cord blood company to bank with. One important factor to consider is the type of anticoagulant used in the cord blood collection.
After your child is born the umbilical cord blood that is left over will be drained into a collection bag. If cord blood alone were placed in the bag, the blood would quickly coagulate or clot, leaving most of its cells unusable. To prevent this, collection bags are pre-filled with an anticoagulant. This minimizes clotting while the blood is transported to the processing lab. But not all anticoagulants are created equal.