Weeks 1-2

The first couple weeks of your pregnancy you might be surprised to learn your baby isn’t even growing – yet. Why? The start of your pregnancy journey begins at conception and that process happens over a couple of weeks.

Week 3

In week 3, your future baby turns from a fertilized egg into a zygote, marking the start of their development. What’s a zygote? It’s a single cell with chromosomes from both mom and dad.¹ These chromosomes determine your baby’s gender and physical traits like the hair and eye color you’ll wonder about and gush over once their born. The zygote will divide from one cell into multiple cells, forming groups the size of a raspberry,² which brings you to Week 4 of your pregnancy.

Week 4

The raspberry-sized cells start forming the embryo and the placenta.³ Over the next 9 months, the placenta has the important job of getting nutrients to the embryo so it grows into a strong and healthy baby. Check out our blog post on essential pregnancy nutrients to see which ones you need.

Week 5

Five weeks marks the second month of pregnancy. You’ll be full of excitement as you schedule your first prenatal visit around this time. Your baby, which is now the size of a sesame seed, looks a bit like a tadpole. It’s made of layers that will become organs and tissue over time.⁴ Already their brain and spinal cord are growing from the neural tube and the heartbeat you can’t wait to hear will start beating.⁴

Week 6

Your baby is growing, and this when the pregnancy hormones and symptoms are kicking in. Areas where your baby’s eyes, nose, mouth and ears will be start developing along with their tongue and vocal cords.⁵ Like a flower, little buds which will grow into tiny arms and legs begin to sprout from their body.⁵

Week 7

At week 7, your baby is the size of a blueberry. They still seem so small, but now is the time their nose, eyes, mouth and ears take their shape. Parts of the eyes that help them see, stomach, esophagus and digestive organs like their liver and pancreas start growing as well.⁶

Week 8

Having grown to the size of a kidney bean, your baby is growing fingers and toes on those stubs which will soon be arms and legs. Their fingers and toes are webbed like a duck now, but don’t worry, they won’t always be that way. Around this time nerves start to grow throughout and their respiratory system so they can breathe.⁷

Week 9

From a kidney bean to a grape, you’re now in your third month of pregnancy. Only 31 weeks and counting! At 9 weeks, they can flex elbows and knees,⁸ meaning they’re starting to move in your tummy even though you won’t be able to feel them just yet. Their mouth is also forming space where the teeth they’ll use to chew yummy food will eventually grow into.⁸

Week 10

At week 10, you’re almost to the end of your first trimester. Where did the time go? Your baby is now the size of a kumquat. Their eyelids have fully formed and will stay closed for the next 17 weeks, and the area where their teeth will be starts to harden.⁹

Week 11

Here’s to week 11! Your baby is the size of a fig, and your baby bump might start to proudly show a little. All of your baby’s vital organs should have finished developing at this point. You can also expect the organs that determine if your baby is a boy or girl, which you’ll soon celebrate with a gender reveal, will start taking shape.¹⁰

Week 12

The end of your first trimester is just around the corner. Your baby is the size of a lime, and it’s using its reflexes to move their fingers, toes, eyes and mouth. Their fingers and toes have lost their webbing, are becoming longer and are growing nails.¹¹ In addition, your baby is also starting to grow soft peach fuzz all over their body.¹¹

Week 13

Welcome to the last week of your first trimester – one trimester down, two more to go. Your baby is finally looking more and more like a little human being. At week 13, your baby is swallowing and using body fluids.¹² Fingerprints as unique as they are, are starting to form on their tiny little fingers.¹² Only the size of a peapod, it’s fascinating how they have grown so much since their first trimester and how they’ll continue growing through the rest of your pregnancy with many more weeks left to go.

Disclaimer: PerkinElmer does not endorse or make recommendations with respect to research, medication, or treatments. All information presented is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

Resources:

1. Cherry, Kendra. “The Importance of the Zygote Phase in Prenatal Development.” Verywell Family, 26 Jan. 2020, www.verywellfamily.com/what-is-a-zygote-2796031.

2-3: Pevzner, Holly. “Week 3 of Your Pregnancy.” Verywell Family, 4 June 2020, www.verywellfamily.com/3-weeks-pregnant-4158839.

4-12: “First Trimester.” BabyCenter, www.babycenter.com/pregnancy-growing-baby-weeks-2-13.

Resources:

Shaw, Gina. “Baby Development Stages: The First Year.” WebMD, WebMD, 18 Oct. 2011, www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/features/stages-of-development#2.

Disclaimer: PerkinElmer does not endorse or make recommendations with respect to research, medication, or treatments. All information presented is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

All types of nutrients you get from food are important, but there are certain ones essential to your baby’s development. Check out our infographic to see which essential pregnancy nutrients you should be consuming.

Resources:

Team, the Healthline Editorial. “Nutritional Needs During Pregnancy.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 6 Jan. 2020, www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/nutrition#Cravings-and-food-aversions-

“Pregnancy Diet: Focus on These Essential Nutrients.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 19 Dec. 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-nutrition/art-20045082

OB-GYNs Share Their Stories

Run Towards The Fire:
Caring for Patients and the Homeless During COVID-19

Dr. Natalia Echeverri’s, MD, FACOG commitment and passion for caring for others during COVID-19 extends beyond the walls of her practice in Miami, Florida, to meet the needs of the homeless in some of Miami’s most undeserved neighborhoods. Read More

How Our Day To Day Is Changing:
An OB-GYN’s Perspective

Jay Steven Cohen M.D, F.A.C.O.G. is a board certified OB-GYN and has been in practice for the past 30 years. He shares how the pandemic has changed the way he practices medicine. Read More

ViaCord Spotlight

Here For Our Customers During Challenging Times:
Q&A With Bukola, Manager of ViaCord Customer Service

ViaCord’s Manager of Customer Service, Bukola, has been on the ViaCord team for nearly 18 years. She shares experiences navigating through significant, unexpected events and how the ViaCord Customer Service team adapted and persevered to ensure our customers were taken care of. Read More

Safeguarding Your Stem Cells:
Q&A With Elizabeth from ViaCord Processing Lab

ViaCord’s Processing Lab remains fully operational during this unprecedented time. We continue to work round-the-clock to process and store the cord blood and cord tissue units as soon as they arrive at our doors. Elizabeth shares the role ViaCord’s Processing Lab 20+ years of experience has played.  Read More

Reasons To Smile

All In The Family

Meet nursing power couple Dan (ER Nurse) and Jill (Medical-Surgical Nurse). Dan is the brother of one of our Family Consultants, Joe. Their commitment to care for others, not only during these unprecedented times, is something Joe is incredibly proud of. To show his support and love for them, Joe and his family surprised Dan and Jill with a heartfelt sign and ViaCord collection kit for their second baby due in November.

Trying to Help the Best Way I Can

A valued member of our ViaCord team, Angie, is spending her spare time sewing masks for her community! With a background in nursing, she can relate to the current situation facing physicians and nurses across the world.

A ViaCord Customer Gives Thanks

“My fourth child was born during Hurricane Matthew, the most powerful storm in 2016. You still arranged for our collection kit to be picked up in the high winds and flooded streets. And now, in the midst of this pandemic, where every day feels uncertain, you were there again for my family – to pick up our collection kit for our fifth baby. Thanks for always being there for my family, ViaCord!”

– Nick, ViaCord Customer and Dad of 5 Beautiful Kiddos

At ViaCord, we know just how special the OB-GYNs we work with are.  As busy as their days can be, from back to back appointments to delivering babies during all hours of the day, they always make time to help educate families about their option to bank their newborns’ stem cells. Why? Because they care. They care for their families as if they were their own.

Today, we’re joined by one those special OB-GYNs, Natalia Echeverri, MD, FACOG. Her commitment and passion for caring for others during COVID-19 extends beyond the walls of her Miami, FL OB-GYN practice, to meet the needs of some of Miami’s most undeserved neighborhoods.

Dr. Echeverri shares her story below…

During a crisis there is always a group of people who “run towards the fire.” We identify a need and try to find a way to meet it. COVID-19 is a perfect example of how we, as a community, ran towards the fire in different but all valuable ways. 

The healthcare sector was affected tremendously. The practice of medicine has hardly changed in decades. Yes, innovation has allowed us to expand our practice but in the end we essentially work through touch, physical exams, and human interaction. We had to act quickly, incorporating telemedicine into our daily routine, figure out new ways to examine our patients thoroughly to offer them excellent medical care without exposing them to our office setting. 

In our obstetrics practice, telemedicine both pushed us into the future and  challenged us to return to our roots, the way we used to practice medicine before the technology gave us fetal dopplers and ultrasound machines. We had our patients start kick counts, taught them how to take their own blood pressure, and educated them on warning signs of third trimester complications. We had to slow down and not only offer medical care but also words of comfort to our anxious patients. The physician-patient relationship was strengthened. 

Of course, we still had to bring our high risk patients into the office. Our office incorporated added precautions to ensure safety; social distancing, universal mask usage, partners calling into the appointment to decrease the amount of people coming into the office setting. We all adjusted to our new reality. 

“Our office felt early on that meeting only our patients’ needs was not enough. A pandemic affects people universally and we knew, deep inside, that we needed to run towards the fire.”

We identified the need for universal mask usage and the shortage of supply even before the CDC recommended it. In our down time, we started making homemade cloth masks for our patients, their families, and essential workers we would encounter, and not just those in healthcare. Dr. Siman, one of the partners at our practice, identified the need for baby wipes and diapers for families suffering through economic challenges.  We became a drop off center for Miami Diaper Bank and encouraged our patients to help us with our drive. 

When shelter in place orders and universal mask usage was set for our county, I joined the non-profit organizations led by Dr. Armen Henderson, Dade County Street Response and Dream Defenders, to meet the needs of the homeless in some of Miami’s most underserved neighborhoods. We began distributing tents, food, water, homemade masks, and COVID testing our vulnerable population.

The project has grown, but the needs have outpaced it. The nonprofits have now set up showers and bathroom facilities in an Overtown church parking lot. My office and home have become a drop off point for clothing, towels, hygiene products, food and water. The makeshift center is open 7 days a week, run by volunteers. Every night my husband and I pick up donations, sort clothing, and sew cloth masks. Fridays we meet at noon to triage, distribute supplies, and COVID test. 

We are adjusting to our new reality. We continue practicing medicine but we also choose to serve our community in every way we can. We must continue running towards the fire. COVID has brought a lot of angst, but it also has brought us together- and that is what we will remember about 2020.

One of the things that makes the clinical management of preeclampsia so tricky is that it usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women whose blood pressure had been normal. ²   Left untreated, preeclampsia can lead to serious, even fatal, complications for both mother and baby.

Despite patient advocacy, the efforts of researchers, scientists and clinicians – and millions of dollars investment in seeking its prevention – the rate of preeclampsia in the US has increased 25% in the last two decades and is a leading cause of maternal and infant illness and death. ³

The Importance of Awareness

The importance of increased awareness of preeclampsia is illustrated by the discordance between awareness of preeclampsia and knowledge of its symptoms.  In a survey of pregnant women and new mothers, an encouraging 83% of respondents had heard of preeclampsia with 99% of these women knowing that preeclampsia is serious, even life-threatening, for mothers and babies.  On the other hand, there remains a wide gap (less than 50% of respondents) in associating many known symptoms with preeclampsia; knowing that preeclampsia can occur up to six weeks after delivery and knowing that women with preeclampsia are at greater risk for future health problems. ⁴   We have come along way with preeclampsia education, but there is still much work to be done. 

Clinical Advances

While patient outreach and education have always been fundamental in reducing preeclampsia, scientific and clinical advances also play a critical role. In 2017, the results from ASPRE (Aspirin for Evidence-Based Preeclampsia Prevention)  low-dose aspirin showed a significant reduction of 62% for preterm preeclampsia in high risk women Read Study Results.   

In order to fully capitalize on the aspirin regimen indicated by the ASPRE Study is the identification of high-risk pregnancies through first trimester preeclampsia screening.  Preeclampsia 1^st trimester predictive screening is currently recommended by only two international medical societies – the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology (ISUOG).  Both these Societies   officially recommend the screening to be performed utilizing a combination of medical history, blood pressure, blood test (PlGF) and Doppler in order to assess a personalized risk of developing preeclampsia later in pregnancy and in order to implement a preventive aspirin treatment.

One of the cornerstones of this new screening protocol is the placental growth factor (PlGF) found in the mother’s blood. The PerkinElmer = PlGF 1-2-3 assay* was used in the study to identify women at high risk of developing preeclampsia.  Read more about PerkinElmer’s PlGF assay and its role in The ASPRE Study.

Supporting Preeclampsia Awareness Month

We all stand united in supporting Preeclampsia Awareness Month.  Although early detection and prevention options are expanding, critical to reducing the potentially devastating impact of preeclampsia is an expecting mother’s awareness of its symptoms and vigilance in communicating any symptoms to her healthcare provider. The sponsor of preeclampsia month, The Preeclampsia Foundation, has developed a very useful video overviewing symptoms of preeclampsia to help assist. 

We hope you found this post helpful!

Note: PerkinElmer and ViaCord do not endorse or make recommendations with respect to research, medications or treatment.  All information is provided for informational purposes only.  For country specific recommendations, please consult your healthcare professional.

For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

References

1. https://www.personalizedcause.com/health-awareness-cause-calendar/preeclampsia-awareness-month

2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/preeclampsia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355745

3. https://www.preeclampsia.org/what-is-preeclampsia

4. https://pre-empt.bcchr.ca/2014-preeclampsia-awareness-survey-highlights-need-education-1

Elizabeth is Team Lead at ViaCord’s Processing Lab in Hebron, Kentucky. She’s been a part of the ViaCord team almost 10 years and helps manage a wonderful team dedicated to providing the highest quality product possible for our ViaCord families. As Elizabeth says, “Every day we strive to be the best at what we do.”

Is the Lab still processing cord blood and cord tissue units in the timely and high-quality manner families are accustomed to?

Absolutely! I’m proud to say that ViaCord’s Processing Lab remains fully operational during this unprecedented time. We continue to work round-the-clock to process and store the cord blood and cord tissue units as soon as they arrive at our doors. Families should feel confident in knowing that every lab technician is acutely aware that banking is a one-time shot and, and that the stem cells we’re processing have the potential to change a life. That’s why quality has always been, and always be, our top priority. In addition, we have incredible relationships with our courier and suppliers. They understand how important the work ViaCord does is and they’re committed to doing everything in their power to ensure that there will be no disruptions to our services.

Is there any evidence to suggest the Corona virus is found in cord blood or cord tissue units?

According to the American College Of Gynecology (ACOG) on 3/23/20, “Respiratory diseases are typically not transmitted by the transfer of human cells. Currently, there are no reported cases of transmission of COVID-19 by blood products (FDA)”

What processes and procedures do you have in place to prevent transmission of the corona virus or any contaminants for that matter?

ViaCord has always practiced universal precaution. Each cord blood and tissue unit is processed individually, so essentially, units are processed in quarantine from other units. This approach is designed to eliminate the chance for cross contamination. We process every unit in a Class 10,000 cleanroom, which is designed to prevent airborne contamination. Our lab technicians work in small self-contained work areas, called biosafety cabinets, and wear PPE designed to protect the technician as well as the unit during processing. We also have strict procedures for entering and exiting the lab, and exhaustive cleaning regiment for surfaces.  As always, we follow best practices and guidelines provided by AABB, FDA, and CLIA.

Are already stored at risk to potential “contamination” from COVID-19?

Cord blood and tissue units that are already in storage would not have an opportunity to be exposed to the virus. Units are stored in hermetically-sealed containers preventing the passage of air, oxygen or other gases in our vapor nitrogen storage tanks. Our cryogenic storage tanks are also protected and housed in a FEMA class storage vault. Since the very first unit ViaCord processed great steps have been taken throughout the process to eliminate the risk of cross contamination. 

In the Lab’s 20+ years of experience are there other market conditions that have helped prepare ViaCord’s Lab for this virus?

Absolutely. When you’ve in business for as long as ViaCord, you experience certain conditions that have the potential to impact your daily operations. We have persevered through SARS, Zika and much more. ViaCord has a Business Continuity Plan and a Pandemic Plan that is reviewed annually. These plans prepare our site for such scenarios, including cross-training employees and identifying backup vendors for critical supplies, so that we can maintain business as usual to the best of our ability in the event something occurs.

What measures are the Laboratory Staff taking to protect themselves from the Corona virus?

This virus is having a tremendous impact on a lot of people in a lot of ways, but at ViaCord we have always safeguarded each sample like it’s our own. That was true before the corona virus and it is true now.  We have adjusted our staffing and implemented additional disinfection procedures for the facility and our lab, but our routine procedures that have been in place are designed to protect our customers units in an event like this. The lab team at ViaCord is dedicated to the health of our families, as well as our own health. Like everyone in the world right now, we practice social distancing, frequent hand washing, and make only essential trips to the store. We all understand the seriousness of this pandemic and are doing our part to stay healthy and safe. We’re all in this together!

Jay Steven Cohen M.D, F.A.C.O.G. is a board certified OB-GYN and has been in practice in the Plantation and Fort Lauderdale area for the past 30 years. He currently practices at the Institute for Women’s Health and Body, in Plantation, FL

At ViaCord, OB-GYNs are a part of our family. From helping educate expecting families about their option to bank, to ensuring as much cord blood and tissue possible is collected at birth, our OB-GYNs are there every step of the way to help us, help families plan for their future. We’re always thankful for the OB-GYNs we work with, but these days we are especially thankful.

Today, we are joined by one of our favorites, Dr. Cohen. Dr. Cohen has graciously taken time out of his incredibly busy schedule to share his thoughts and provide a glimpse into his daily life as an OB-GYN during this unprecedented time. Thank you, Dr. Cohen, and thank you to all medical front-line workers during this time. You are our heroes and an inspiration to all.

Dr. Cohen shares his story below…

Boy, how times have changed! In 30 years of practice, I have never experienced or have been through a Pandemic. This will probably change the way we live and practice medicine for a long time to come.

In the past month we have cut our staff’s hours, learned how to use Telemedicine (the new norm), have prevented our patients from bringing their family and friends to their visits, wear PPE, and have applied so much hand sanitizer we can barely recognize our own skin.

I feel bad for the patients that give birth and can only have 1 person with them in a 24 hr period. I have not yet been able to hold my 2 week old granddaughter.

I get asked a lot by my patients, ‘Can we still collect Cord Blood and Cord Tissue?‘ and I let them know that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has stated that collection can continue. “Respiratory diseases are typically not transmitted by the transfer of human cells. Currently, there are no reported cases of transmission of COVID-19 by blood products (FDA); therefore, umbilical cord blood banking can continue to be managed according to clinical guidance”. 

Above all, we will be alright. We have each other, our faith and our positive attitude.

Stay safe and be smart,

Jay S Cohen, M.D.

What does it mean to have IBD?

IBD is caused by the immune system responding incorrectly to environmental triggers, which causes inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.¹ Chronic inflammation causes damage to the gastrointestinal tract affecting its ability to function correctly. Depending on the location and nature of the inflammation, IBD is categorized either as Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis.

IBD is a debilitating, life-long disorder that can be treated, but not cured. About 1.6 million Americans have IBD, and with as many as 70,000 new cases being diagnosed each year, it’s important to support the research needed to find a cure or better treatments with less side-effects.²

Targeting IBD with Cord Tissue Stem Cells

For years, cord blood stem cells have been used to treat nearly 80 diseases including cancers, blood disorders, and genetic diseases. The clinical use of cord tissue stem cells, which are known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), is still being explored but research is seeing potential for conditions affecting cartilage, muscle and nerve cells.

There is also a large body of work that supports the role of mesenchymal stem cells derived from cord tissue in modulating the immune system, responding to inflammation and enabling the repair of damaged tissue.³ It is these properties that are being investigated to see if they can regenerate damage in the intestine and restore its functionality by minimizing inflammation and the resulting damage.

Studying the effect of Cord Tissue Stem Cells in IBD

In an ongoing effort to determine if cord tissue stem cells can be effective in treating IBD, infusions were given to mice that had IBD in this recent study.

The study identified multiple ways that the administration of stem cells from cord tissue resulted in a reduction of inflammation and damage to the intestine. The presence of the stem cells was correlated with cellular processes that reduced inflammation of the intestinal wall, decreased cell destruction of the intestinal wall and increased the microvasculature, which increases blood flow and facilitates repair of damaged intestine.³

Understanding how cord tissue stem cells function in the treatment of IBD in the animal model is important in moving forward with human clinical research. There are many other variables being explored such as the best way to get cord tissue stem cells to the target area, how many and how often they need to be applied to see a clinically meaningful effect. 

There is a growing amount of cord tissue stem cell work being accumulated, specifically in how these cells impact the immune system and inflammation. Seeing how stem cells can target these areas in IBD is a great target indication, but the possibility of other indications can be far greater. The more we understand how cord tissue stem cells affect inflammation, the more these principles can be explored in other disease states also rooted in immune dysfunction.

To learn more about cord tissue stem cells and how they’re being used in research, visit our website here.

Disclaimer:

Banking cord blood does not guarantee that treatment will work, and only a doctor can determine when it can be used. PerkinElmer does not endorse or make recommendations with respect to research, medication, or treatments. All information presented is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

References:

1. “Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 24 Dec. 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/inflammatory-bowel-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20353315

2. “What Is IBD?” Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/what-is-ibd

3. Pan, Xing-hua, et al. “Mechanism and Therapeutic Effect of Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 27 Nov. 2019, www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-54194-y#Sec14?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=ctibdresearch&utm_content=recentstudy

Q & A with ViaCord’s Manager of Customer Service

We recently sat down with ViaCord’s Manager of Customer Service, Bukola, for a quick Q & A.  Bukola has been on the ViaCord team for nearly 18 years and is passionate about ensuring our ViaCord families are taken care of from the minute they enroll with us until their stem cells are safely stored at our state-of-the art laboratory.  Let’s see what she had to say:

What’s the first thing you’d like ViaCord customers to know?

I would start by saying that our customers should feel confident in knowing that ViaCord is doing everything possible to maintain business as usual. We understand that you’ve chosen us during this very special time in your life – to help fulfill your desire to plan for your child’s future health. We know that there is a unique level of trust between us and our customers – a level of trust that many businesses don’t have because of the nature of the service. It’s a trust that is not taken lightly at ViaCord, and we will always do everything in our power to honor that.

Tell us about some of your past experiences navigating through significant, unexpected events.

Over my nearly 18 years at ViaCord, we’ve had our share of experiences where we adapted and persevered  to ensure our customers were taken care of.  I’ll share one of those experiences with you:

2012 – Hurricane Sandy, aka “Superstorm Sandy.”

In the fall of 2012, Hurricane Sandy tore through the eastern seaboard wreaking havoc on areas like New York and New Jersey. While Sandy was causing massive destruction, ViaCord customers were welcoming their babies into the world!  Our Customer Service Team had to jump into action with our Courier Team to develop a creative, and time sensitive, plan to recover the ViaCord Collection Kits in the areas hit by the superstorm. When you’re transporting cord blood with living cells, time is critical. Working together, we overcame several logistical hurdles – from widespread regional airport closures, driving restrictions tied to a state of emergency declaration, and a tri-state gasoline shortage. We even had a courier drive from New Hampshire to New Jersey picking up ViaCord Collection Kits along the way. The courier then drove all the kits to the nearest open airport which ended up being in Philadelphia.

It was a hectic time, but we rose to the occasion with confidence. Our Customer Service Team did an amazing job easing parents’ nerves by regularly checking in and providing courier status updates.  To this day, I’m very proud to say that every ViaCord Collection Kit made it to ViaCord’s Processing Lab.

Has the ViaCord Customer Service Team’s daily job changed since the COVID-19 outbreak?

We have always worked closely with hospitals and our courier team to ensure our customer’s experience is the best it can be, however since the outbreak we’re working even closer with them as some hospital policies are changing daily. 

For example, many hospitals are now requesting that couriers pick up ViaCord Collection Kits in the lobby, rather than going to your room to retrieve it. We are proactively communicating with our customers to let them know this could be the case and provide guidance on how to facilitate with this request.  Our number one priority is working together with all parties, to ensure that ViaCord Collection Kits arrives at our processing lab.

What would you say to parents wondering if they can still collect their baby’s cord blood and tissue during this time?

I would say, yes, yes, yes!  According to the American College Of Gynecology (ACOG) on 3/23/20, “Respiratory diseases are typically not transmitted by the transfer of human cells. Currently, there are no reported cases of transmission of COVID-19 by blood products (FDA); therefore, umbilical cord blood banking can continue to be managed according to clinical guidance”.

Collecting your baby’s cord blood and tissue can only happen one time – right after delivery.  You don’t want to miss out on this unique opportunity to help plan for your family’s future health . . . and we’re right along-side of you to help.