Cord Blood StorageOne of the most vital aspects that any cord blood bank will be especially worried about is cord blood storage. Because if the blood that is collected after the birth of your baby is not properly stored, then it loses it’s potential for use in cord blood transplants. There are two widely followed methods of storing cord blood - the liquid nitrogen method or the vapour phase method. Both methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. The problem on what method to use is compounded by the fact that there is no industry standard. However slowly, but surely, the vapor method storage is gaining popularity. The "full liquid" method implies that the tank is full of liquid nitrogen, stored at -190º Celsius. A study by Tedder et al published in the July 1995 issue of The Lancet detailed six instances of acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection arising from the stem cells stored in liquid nitrogen phase. The authors estimated this was because of "leakage of the cryopreservation bags used to store bone marrow harvested from the first patient when acutely infected with HBV led to contamination of the tank and its contents with HBV and subsequent transmission to patients after transplantation." Since then, the vapor method of storage where cord blood products are stored at -130º Celsius, has been gaining popularity. The one concern expressed by authorities over vapour storage was that the temperature would not remain constant when the lid of the vapour tank was opened. The fear was that such temperature fluctuations might compromise the cord blood stored within. However latest advances have brought in new cord blood storage tanks that can allow vapor tanks to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the tanks. The currently recommended optimal storage conditions are in the vapor nitrogen phase, at −156°C. To summarize then, cord blood storage is a delicate procedure that involves a lot of technical considerations to ensure the blood is viable when it is ready to be used to harvest stem cells. When choosing a suitable cord blood bank to store your baby's blood, it is advised to enquire about the method used to store the blood so you are aware of exactly what is being done to preserve it.
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