Cord blood

Definition:

Cord blood is a sample of blood collected from the umbilical cord at the time of birth.

How the test is performed:

Immediately 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 away from the first, then the isolated section is cut and a blood sample is collected into a specimen tube.

How to prepare for the test:

No special preparation is necessary for this test.

How the test will feel:

You will not feel anything beyond the normal birthing process.

Why the test is performed:

Cord blood testing is performed to assess the following:

Blood gases, to evaluate the oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH levels
Blood type and Rh
Respiratory status
Complete blood count (CBC)
Platelet count
Hemoglobin levels (Hgb)
Hematocrit (HCT)
Bilirubin levels
Glucose
Blood culture (if an infection is suspected)

Normal Values:

Normal values indicate that all items evaluated are within normal range.

What abnormal results mean:

A low pH (less than 7.2) indicates high 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 delivery.

A blood culture that is positive for bacteria indicates septicemia.

Elevated levels of glucose in the cord blood may be found if the mother has diabetes. The newborn will be watched for rebound hypoglycemia after delivery.

Elevate bilirubin could indicate:

Maternal jaundice
Maternal ingestion of sulfa drugs during pregnancy
Rh incompatibility
Dubin-Johnson syndrome
Congenital toxoplasmosis
Congenital rubella
Congenital hepatitis
Congenital CMV

What the risks are:

There are no risks above and beyond those normally experienced by the mother and child at the time of birth.

Special considerations:

Most hospitals routinely collect cord blood at birth, since it is relatively convenient and birth is the only time it is possible to do. Some parents choose to have cord blood banked, because it can be used later if the child has a condition that would require a bone marrow transplant. Cord blood can be used to re-constitute the immune system in place of a transplant and doesn't require a search for a compatible donor.

If your child has a normal and uneventful birth, your health care provider may choose to run selected tests on the sample and not bank the sample.

Review Date: 11/16/2002
Reviewed By: Daniel Rein, M.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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