1. How can donating my baby's cord blood help save a life?
2. Will donating my baby's cord blood harm me or my baby?
3. Does cord blood donation have anything to do with embryonic stem cell research?
4. What happens to my baby's cord blood after I donate?
5. Why is there a need for more donated cord blood?
6. Why should I donate to CORD:USE Public Cord Blood Bank in particular?
7. Will donating my baby's cord blood cost me or my family any money?
8. Is there any benefit in donating for me or my family?
9. If I decide not to donate my baby's cord blood, what will happen to it?
10. What happens if my child ever needs to have a stem cell transplant?
1. How can donating my baby's cord blood help save a life?
The small amount of blood remaining in your baby’s umbilical cord following delivery can be used to save the life of a child or an adult suffering from any of more than 70 diseases.
2. Will donating my baby's cord blood harm me or my baby?
No. CORD:USE Public Cord Blood Bank collection procedures are safe because the cord blood collection is performed only after your baby is born. The process will not harm you or your baby.
3. Does cord blood donation have anything to do with embryonic stem cell research?
No. In fact, the donation of umbilical cord blood, typically disposed of as medical waste, has widespread religious and governmental support. In contrast, embryonic stem cells involve removing the cells from unborn human embryos. CORD:USE Public Cord Blood Bank Cord Blood Bank is not involved with any aspect of embryonic stem cell research.
4. What happens to my baby's cord blood after I donate?
Once you have delivered your baby and he/she is safely in your or the pediatric teams' hands, blood will be collected from the umbilical cord and placenta. The blood is then sent to the laboratory at Duke University Medical Center for processing. If the volume and test results meet the criteria, your baby’s cord blood will then be processed, typed, and placed in cryopreserved storage. Each cord blood unit collected, which meets all of the necessary criteria, is listed in a global registry. The identities of the donating mother and baby are kept confidential.
5. Why is there a need for more donated cord blood?
Despite the expanding public cord blood inventory, too many patients in need of a stem cell transplant are still unable to find an optimal match. Often times searches may result in units which may not be large enough for the patient or a close enough match. This is particularly common for ethnic minority patients. Larger cord blood inventories are critical to patients finding optimal stem cell matches, and larger, more closely matched units lead to better transplantation outcomes.
6. Why should I donate to CORD:USE Public Cord Blood Bank in particular?
Because CORD:USE Public Cord Blood Bank maintains high medical, ethical and scientific standards. Also, CORD:USE Public Cord Blood Bank works with many of the world’s leaders in the field of cord blood banking and transplantation.
7. Will donating my baby's cord blood cost me or my family any money?
None whatsoever. There is no charge or expense to you for publicly donating your baby's cord blood to the CORD:USE Public Cord Blood Bank.
8. Is there any benefit in donating for me or my family?
Yes, in addition to knowing your donation may help save the life of another child or adult patient, you and your baby may benefit from the diagnostic tests which are performed, after your donation, at no cost to you.
9. If I decide not to donate my baby's cord blood, what will happen to it?
The blood will be treated as medical waste and will be thrown away. However, you also have the option of choosing to pay a private storage company to collect and store your baby's umbilical cord blood for you and your family’s possible use.
10. What happens if my child ever needs a stem cell transplant?
When cord blood is donated to public cord blood banks and meets the criteria to be placed on a global registry, these cord blood units are made immediately available to the general public. There is therefore no guarantee that the donated cord blood unit would be available to your family at some future date. However, if it is available in the registry, it will be available to your family as it would be to anyone else searching for a stem cell transplant.