1. How can donating my baby's cord blood help save a life?
2. Are there any risks for me or my baby by donating my baby’s cord blood?
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 do you need to have more donated cord blood?
6. Why should I donate to CORD:USE in particular?
7. Will donating cost 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?
Each year there are thousands of patients who are diagnosed with a disease that may be successfully treated with a stem cell transplant. The stem cells found in your baby's cord blood may in fact be the most appropriate match for a patient in desperate need of transplant. A larger public inventory of cord blood will give more patients better opportunities of finding the right stem cell match. Without that match, there is no way for the patient to undergo a transplant. Without a transplant, the prognosis for most of these patients is poor.
2. Are there any risks for me or my baby by donating my baby’s cord blood?
No. CORD:USE collection procedures are safe because the cord blood collection is performed only after your baby is born and has been delivered safely. The donation will not harm you or your baby.
3. Does cord blood donation have anything to do with embryonic stem cell research?
No. In fact, donation of cord blood, typically disposed of as medical waste, has widespread religious and governmental support. Embryonic stem cells involve removing the cells from unborn human embryos. CORD:USE 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 our laboratory at Duke University for processing. If the volume and test results allow, the stem cells from your baby's cord blood are then harvested, typed and are placed in cryopreserved storage. Each cord blood unit stored is listed in a global registry. The identities of the donating mother and baby are kept confidential.
5. Why do you need to have 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 outcomes and higher survival rates.
6. Why should I donate to CORD:USE in particular?
Because CORD:USE maintains the highest medical, ethical and scientific standards. Also, CORD:USE 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 never any charge or expense to you for donating your baby’s cord blood to the CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank.
8. Is there any benefit in donating for me or my family?
Yes, besides knowing your donation may help to save the life of another child or adult patient, you and your baby may benefit from the diagnostic tests (paid for by CORD:USE) performed after your donation.
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 cord blood for your exclusive use. Initial fees for private storage range from approximately $1,500 to $2,000, followed by a yearly maintenance fee.
10. What happens if my child ever needs a stem cell transplant?
When cord blood is donated to public cord blood banks and placed on a global registry, these cord blood units become immediately available to the general public without reservation. There is therefore no guarantee that the donated cord blood unit would be available to you at some future date. However, if it is available in the registry, it will be available to you as it would be to anyone else searching for a stem cell transplant.