After a baby is born, there is still some blood left in the umbilical cord and placenta. This blood, called cord blood, contains stem cells. If the cord blood is collected, it can be donated to public cord blood banks, where it is available for people who need stem cells to treat a variety of medical conditions.
Will it hurt the baby?
The umbilical cord separates from the baby, or is cut by the doctor, after the baby is born. only after the umbilical cord is separated from the baby is the cord blood collected.
Does cord blood donation cost anything?
The donation itself does not cost anything, however the hospital or doctor may charge a fee for collecting the cord blood. It is possible to ask the doctor or hospital billing department ahead of time if they will charge a fee for helping with a cord blood donation.
How do I donate?
If a hospital works with a public cord blood bank, then the doctor or hospital will take care of a lot of the set up. Everything should be prepared by the 34th week of pregnancy. The blood bank may send a kit to be given to the doctor, or the hospital may already have kits on hand.
If the hospital does not have an arrangement with a blood bank, the parents can contact public blood banks directly and find one that will, who will provide a kit and information, and send a courier to pick up the cord blood after the birth.
What is cord blood donation used for?
Most cord blood donations go to public cord blood banks to be available for people who need it to treat life threatening medical conditions. Some cord blood banks will also use donated cord blood for research purposes.
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