How to Donate Umbilical Cord Blood

Umbilical cord blood is stem-cell rich. If you are pregnant, you may be considering banking your baby's cord blood for possible future use if a medical need arises. Private banking is expensive. Another option is to donate your cord blood. It is easy . . . if you can find a place to accept your donation.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Think about umbilical cord donation early. Research your options and get paperwork completed before it is too late. You want to decide if you are going to bank your own blood or donate by your second trimester if possible.

2. If you want to bank your own cord blood, research different companies online and see which operate in your area.

3. If you wish to donate your baby's cord blood, you must register with a collection program before the third trimester and you must pass a health history screening.

4. Research to see if there is a collection program accepting donations near you by using the link below under "Resources." Not all areas have collection programs as collecting and storing cord blood is expensive. There is no cost to donors, so the program must absorb the costs. If a program near you is not accepting donations when you first check, check again later.

5. Most donation programs are affiliated with specific birthing centers. There are fewer than 200 collection centers in the US, mostly at large hospitals. There are also some banks which accept a limited number of mail-in donations.

6. If you find a program near you or one that accepts mail-in donations, then contact the program to ask for the necessary paperwork.

7. Fill in the paperwork. You will be asked about medical history, such as cancer in the family. This is to ensure that any cord blood accepted is safe. Some paperwork may require a doctor's signature, so that is why you should get started early.

8. Send in paperwork. Make sure your doctor knows you plan to donate the cord blood. Make sure the doctor has any necessary paperwork he or she must have and that the doctor knows the collection procedure.

9. When the time comes to give birth, your doctor will collect the cord blood. The blood will then be picked up by the collection program or by a mail carrier for fast delivery.

10. You can read about my experience donating my daughter's umbilical cord blood at creativezazz.com (see the link below).

11. Thank you for considering donating. I donated because a friend of mine told me about this option after her son was treated for leukemia with donated cord blood. It saved his life.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to get started early as you will need time to get your doctor's signature on paperwork. It may also take a little time on the Internet to find a place that accepts donations.
• You may also want to consider private cord blood banking.
• If you have a history of cancer in your family you may not be able to donate. See the resources below for more information.

Resources

• Parents Guide to Cord Blood Banks
• my experience donating cord blood

[cwengre]

on 3/19/2009 Donating blood from the umbilical cord is a great idea.