Removal of umbilical cord blood

Umbilical cord blood can be removed both in the case of spontaneous delivery and following a Caesarean operation.

The birth

The removal of umbilical cord blood has absolutely no negative effects on delivery, as the residual blood in the cord is only extracted following the routine separation of the child. A midwife or a physician taps the vein in the umbilical cord using a sterile needle. The blood flows into a special bag containing the anti-coagulant CPD and is thus sent to the laboratory for further processing.

In addition, a blood sample (approx. 20-30 ml) is taken from the mother within 48 hours prior to or after delivery in order that the statutorily prescribed infection parameters (e.g. HIV, CMV) can be examined.

As opposed to bone marrow donations, the removal of umbilical cord blood is entirely painless and risk-free, as neither you or your baby are touched during the procedure.