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Cord blood collection FAQs for parents

FAQs for parents who wish to have cord blood collected for storage by a private cord blood establishment.

More information is provided in the HTA’s position statement on the collection of cord blood.

I am pregnant and would like to collect and then store the cord blood of my baby with a private company. Does a private cord blood establishment need an HTA licence?

Yes. All cord blood establishments which collect and/or store cord blood for potential future treatment must be licensed by the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) under the Human Tissue (Quality and Safety for Human Application) Regulations 2007 (Q&S Regulations).

Where can I find out whether a cord blood establishment is licensed by the HTA?

You can find a list of establishments licensed for human application (patient treatment) on the licensed establishments page. Please note: this list includes all establishments licensed for human application, and not just those that collect cord blood.

I am pregnant and would like the cord blood of my baby to be collected and then stored at a private cord blood establishment. The maternity unit at my hospital has advised me that they are not licensed for the collection of cord blood. What can I do?

You should check with your chosen cord blood establishment whether they have a Third Party Agreement in place with your chosen hospital, as trained staff working for the hospital could collect the cord blood under this Agreement.

Alternatively, you could arrange to have an independent phlebotomist collect the cord blood. The phlebotomist would need to have entered into a Third Party Agreement with your chosen HTA-licensed cord blood establishment.

Please note that it is for the hospital to decide whether or not to allow any third party phlebotomist on to its premises and this should be discussed with the hospital well in advance of delivery.

Which HTA-licensed establishment should I use to collect and store the cord blood of my baby?

The HTA cannot recommend one licensed establishment over another or provide advice on the merits of whole blood storage as opposed to extracted cell storage. The HTA inspects all licensed establishments to ensure compliance with HTA standards and the relevant legal requirements. A list of licensed establishments is available on the this website.

I am pregnant and would like my husband/partner to collect the cord blood of my baby. Is this possible?

In general, this is not possible.  The lawful collection of cord blood must take place under the authority of an HTA licence, either on licensed premises or under a Third Party Agreement (TPA) with an HTA-licensed establishment (for more information on TPAs, please see TPA FAQs.  In addition to this, the collection of all human tissues and cells, including cord blood, must be carried out by registered healthcare professionals, who must have the necessary experience to carry out this procedure.

To enable a parent to lawfully collect cord blood, he or she would need to be a registered healthcare professional trained in cord blood collection to the satisfaction of the Designated Individual of the HTA-licensed establishment. Your partner would also need to enter into a TPA with the HTA-licensed establishment. 

Is there anything that prevents the collection of cord blood while the placenta is still in situ / in utero?

There is no legislation governing the specific techniques of cord blood collection, but professional guidelines do exist and the HTA endorses those guidelines. Guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is available on their website. These guidelines state, "It is important that cord blood should be collected after the placenta has been delivered in a clean environment using methods and facilities, which meet the required regulations including the EU Tissue and Cells Directives".

If my chosen cord blood establishment goes out of business what happens to my sample?
 
Establishments licensed by the HTA are legally required to ensure that in the event of activities ceasing, any tissues/cells and records are transferred to another licensed establishment. You should ensure that your chosen cord blood establishment has an agreement in place with another HTA-licensed establishment for the safe storage of the sample in the event of them closing down.

 Updated December 2010