How to Donate Umbilical Cord Blood

Umbilical cord blood is the blood from the placenta that passes through the umbilical cord to the newborn child. This blood carries more hematopoietic stem cells than that of an adult's blood. Donating umbilical cord blood can help those who suffer from diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma and aplastic anemia. Studies have shown that donated umbilical cord blood may help to create heart valves but more research is needed. In turn, more donations are needed. Follow these steps to learn how to donate umbilical cord blood.

1. Inform your doctor that you would like to donate umbilical cord blood. Discuss this step with your doctor at your 34th week of pregnancy.

2. Step 2

   Learn whether your hospital collects public cord blood donations. Public cord donations are rarely taken by hospitals due to the expenses associated with this process. If your hospital does not take public donations, you may be eligible to donate through Cryobanks International.

3. Step 3

   Contact Cryobanks International to get eligibility details by calling their donation line or visiting their website. A consent form and health questionnaire will be mailed to you after your eligibility has been determined.

4. Step 4

   Complete consent form and health questionnaire prior to the delivery of the baby. This enables the hospital to care for your cord blood properly and follow all necessary steps to preserve the umbilical cord blood.

5. Step 5

   Inform the delivery team that you are going to donate your umbilical cord blood at the time of delivery. The delivery team will clamp the umbilical cord and collect blood from the cord and the placenta. The blood is placed into a sterilized bag and is stored and referred to as a blood unit.

6. Step 6

   Supply a sample of your blood to test for infectious diseases. This prevents passing diseases to those who might receive donations in the future.

7. Step 7

   Deliver the cord blood unit to the public cord bank. The delivery team will deliver the cord blood unit to the public cord blank within one to two days after the birth of the baby.