Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Cord Blood Donation
Donating cord blood for public use or storing it for your family's private use is a personal choice. The umbilical cord and placenta are usually thrown away after the baby is born—unless the parents want to have the blood left in the umbilical cord and placenta collected. Choices may include:
- Donating it to a public cord blood bank. (If the cord blood cannot be used for transplant, it may be used for research studies or it will be thrown away.)
- Storing it in a family (private) cord blood bank
- Saving it for a biological sibling who has a diagnosed medical need
For more information to help you make an informed decision, see Options for Umbilical Cord Blood Banking and Donation.
The registry of the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program (also called the NMDP RegistrySM) is focused on building an inventory of high-quality cord blood units that are from genetically varied backgrounds. When a donated cord blood unit meets the standards for transplant, it will be tissue typed, frozen and stored in a liquid nitrogen freezer at a public cord blood bank. The cord blood unit is then listed on the registry, where it is available for searching patients.
Some transplant standards for donated cord blood are:
- The cord blood unit must be large enough (contain enough blood-forming cells) for a transplant.
- The mother's health history and the results of her blood sample test must meet eligibility guidelines.
- The cord blood unit must be free from contamination.
- The cord blood unit must arrive at the cord blood bank within a certain time limit for processing.
Not all cord blood units collected meet standards for transplant. Frequently, cord blood is not stored because there are not enough blood-forming cells or it took too long to be delivered to the cord blood bank for processing. Collected cord blood that does not meet standards for transplant may be used for research or thrown away. Cord blood will only be used for research with the parents’ permission.
If you decide to donate your baby's umbilical cord blood, a public cord blood bank staff who works with your hospital will ask you questions to make sure you can donate. The answers you give are used to make sure your blood is free from infectious diseases that can be given to another person. You can usually donate if you are:
- Healthy
- Pregnant with one baby (rather than two or more)
For basic donation guidelines, see Learn if You Can Donate Cord Blood.
To donate cord blood to a public cord blood bank, talk with your doctor or midwife about your interest in donating and then call a cord blood bank to see if donation can be done at your delivery hospital. Ideally, you should call the cord blood bank between your 28th and 34th week of pregnancy.
After the birth of your baby, the umbilical cord and placenta are no longer needed. If you choose to donate, the blood left in the umbilical cord and placenta will be collected and tested. Cord blood that meets standards will be stored and available to searching patients. (It is not saved for your family.)
For detailed information, see Donating Umbilical Cord Blood to a Public Bank.
Check to see if your hospital works with a public cord blood bank to collect umbilical cord blood for public donation. Because of funding limitations, it is not possible to donate cord blood at every hospital at this time.
For a list of hospitals that work with public cord blood banks, see Participating Hospitals.
Donating cord blood will not change your labor or delivery. During delivery, all the focus is on you and your baby. No blood is taken from your baby, only from the cord and placenta after the baby is born.
Usually the day after your baby is born, you will be asked for a sample of your blood to be tested for infectious diseases. This blood is only taken from you, not your baby.
The cord blood bank keeps the mother's and baby's names private and it protects the privacy of the family. Names are not shared with any patient or transplant center. The cord blood is listed by a number, never by a name. Personal information is never exchanged between a cord blood donor and a cord blood transplant recipient.
There is no cost to you when you donate cord blood to a public cord blood bank. Public cord blood banks pay for everything which includes collecting, processing, and storing cord blood units. At this time, because of funding limitations, it is not possible to donate at every hospital.
Parents may also choose to store the umbilical cord blood for their own family. Family (private) cord blood banks are available throughout the country for anyone who chooses to pay the collection fee and annual fees for storing the cord blood.
If a biological sibling has a medical need, the collection and storage of cord blood is offered at little or no cost to eligible families.
For more information, see:
Public cord blood banks work with their participating hospitals and doctors to provide information about donating umbilical cord blood to expectant parents.
You can also:
- Find Options for Umbilical Cord Blood Banking and Donation.
- Learn about the ease of Donating Umbilical Cord Blood.
- Find information about donating umbilical cord blood from the NMDP RegistrySM at 1-800-627-7692. (NMDP Registry is the registry for the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program.)
Seeing the need to help more patients who need a bone marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant, the United States Congress passed the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005, Public Law 109-129, and reauthorized by Congress in 2010, 2015, and 2021 (P.L. 111-264, P.L. 114-104, and P.L. 117-15). These acts include support for umbilical cord blood transplant and research.
To learn more about the Stem Cell Acts of 2005 and 2010, see: The Need for More Cord Blood Donations; National Cord Blood Inventory Contract Summary; Cord Blood Coordinating Center Contract Summary.
Donating cord blood for public use or storing it for your family's private use is a personal choice. The umbilical cord and placenta are usually thrown away after the baby is born—unless the parents want to have the blood left in the umbilical cord and placenta collected.
Choices may include:
- Donating it to a public cord blood bank. (If the cord blood cannot be used for transplant, it may be used for research studies or it will be thrown away.)
- Storing it in a family (private) cord blood bank
- Saving it for a biological sibling who has a diagnosed medical need
For more information to help you make an informed decision, see Options for Umbilical Cord Blood Banking and Donation.