Cord blood testing

Right after the birth of your baby, the umbilical cord is clamped and cut. If cord blood is to be drawn, another clamp is placed 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 centimeters) away from the first. The section between the clamps is cut and a blood sample is collected into a specimen tube.

No special steps are needed to prepare for this test.

You will not feel anything beyond the normal birthing process.

Cord blood testing is done to measure the following in your baby's blood: Bilirubin level Blood culture (if an infection is suspected) Blood gases (including oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH levels) Blood sugar level Blood type and Rh Complete blood count ( CBC ) Platelet count

Normal values mean that all items checked are within normal range.

A low pH (less than 7.04 to 7.10) means there are higher levels of acids in the baby's blood. This might occur when the baby does not get enough oxygen during labor. One reason for this could be that the umbilical cord was compressed during labor or delivery. A blood culture that is positive for bacteria means your…

Most hospitals routinely collect cord blood for testing at birth. The process is fairly easy and this is the only time when this type of blood sample can be collected. You can also decide to bank or donate cord blood at the time of your delivery. Cord blood can be used to treat certain types of bone marrow-related…

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ACOG committee opinion no. 771: umbilical cord blood banking. Obstet Gynecol . 2019;133(3):e249-e253. PMID: 30801478 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30801478/ . Hsu YMS, Elkins MB. Tissue banking and progenitor cells. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical…