Where to Donate Cord Blood

Cord blood comes from a baby's umbilical cord, and this blood can actually be donated to others who have terminal illnesses or diseases. Inside the cord, there are blood-forming cells that can be made into a transplant for those who have threatening diseases like leukemia. If you're having a baby and are considering donating the cord blood, you have plenty of options and can discuss these with your doctor throughout the pregnancy. The umbilical cord will be thrown away if you don't choose to donate.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Go through a cord blood bank that's affiliated with the public hospital closest to you. These public banks pay to collect and test the blood for diseases or impurities, so not every hospital has this service. Only particular hospitals are set up to donate to these public cord banks, so check the hospital list in the Resources section below.

2. Use Cryobanks International. You can go through this company if the public hospitals near you aren't affiliated with any cord bank. You can see if you qualify to donate and print out enrollment forms right on the website. Cryobanks International accepts donations from anywhere in the U.S.

3. Donate your cord blood for research purposes. Find a laboratory or testing facility in your area that uses these samples to test new therapies or experiments with it in transplants. Your donation won't be used in any transplants but will be used in scientific testing and experiments. Someone at your hospital may be able to direct you to a laboratory close by.

4. Go through a cord blood bank that's not in the public network system. There are a few in the United States like this, but they have more rules than the public banks. Most of these establishments require your physician to perform the cord collection, and some only accept donations to be used in transplants or for a child of your own who needs a transplant.

5. Donate cord blood for a family member of yours. This is called a directed donation and can often be done through a public bank that will charge you a small fee. If you don't want to pay, try the Related Donor Cord Blood Program, but the banks affiliated with this program are limited. You must be eligible to participate, and your family member may need to be already diagnosed with a disease that's known to be treatable with cord blood.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also store cord blood for your family members in a private family cord blood bank. You'll be charged for this service.

Resources

• Public Cord Bank List
• Cryobanks International

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[ehowbrowncow]

on 11/7/2008 I'm not convinced public banking is the way to go. I'm banking privately with CBR. It's pricey, yes, but it's a form of health insurance for my child. If price is a concern, there are discounts to be had.
For example,
http://cord-blood-banking-coupon.com
And many banks let you set up a gift registry so family and friends can contribute and help you afford this gift for your baby.