- To use the service you first of all have to purchase the SmartKit™ by phoning us or filling in the form on the ORDER THE SMARTKIT page. The best time to order is around 2 months before the estimated date of birth, but we can also satisfy more urgent requests.
- To receive the kit you must pay €250.00 VAT inclusive, either by bank transfer (to the bank sort codes you will receive automatically at the e-mail address you indicate when ordering) or by credit card (ordering it directly from the website). The kit can be delivered in just two days if necessary.
- The SmartKit contains everything needed for both the collection and transport of the blood as well as the instructions and forms that have to be filled in before the birth.
The tests the mother has to take in the last 30 days before the estimated date of birth are:1) Hepatitis B [HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb, HBcAb (IgG-IgM), HBsAg] 4) Syphilis 2) Hepatitis C antibodies [HCV] 5) Cytomegalovirus [CMV] 3) HIV 1 and 2 6) HTLV 1 and 2 antibodies * The results of these tests must carry the collection date, the mother’s name and laboratory accreditation. The results of the first three tests are indispensable before birth to obtain the export licence; the last three tests can also be performed by our storage laboratory, at the additional cost of €50.00, or by your own laboratory.
(* HTLV 1e2 is a RNA lymphotropic virus, similar to HIV but different, linked to some forms of leukaemia. The test for this virus is compulsory in the European Union, as specified in Directive 2006/17/CE of 8.2.2006. Not all laboratories perform it and the SmartKit instructions include the (optional) name of a laboratory in your local area). - Close to the birth date, after the formalities have been completed, the sample processing and cryopreservation service should be paid for. Payment can be made with bank transfer to the bank sort codes already used for the kit, or by the financing plan offered by Cofidis with four instalments of 12, 18, 24 or 36 months. For more details on financing click here.
- The day you give birth: :in the delivery room or operating room, give the SmartKit to healthcare professional. The collection is absolutely painless and risk free for both mother and baby and will not take more than 5 minutes. To see a short animated video on the collection of cord blood, click here.
- SmartBank will promptly inform parents about the delivery of the sample to the laboratory and within seven days will send, by e-mail, a communication on the processing results.
- Finally, within 30 days of the birth, SmartBank will send the parents a detailed cryogenic storage certificate by post.
