Why Donate to a Public Bank?
Thousands of patients with life-threatening inherited metabolic and other diseases need a donor for a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. When you donate your baby's cord blood to a Public Bank it will be made available worldwide. Most importantly, cord blood transplants do not require an exact blood match making it easier to obtain a donation. This means that you could possibly help anyone, anywhere no matter their ethnicity, race, or gender. Cord blood from donors like you can enhance and expedite research studies as well! For instance, if your baby's cord blood is not used for transplant it could go towards research and clinical trials. Subsequently, this will help discover even more uses for life-saving treatments. If you think about it, your donation could literally be the difference of life and death for thousands of people. The best part about donating to a public bank is that there is no charge to do so. Most importantly, all identities are kept confidential and are stored safely and secured within the Bank.
Reasons You Should Choose Upstate CBB:
- Know that we are centrally located in Upstate NY and serve the surrounding communities.
- Have piece of mind knowing that our selectively recruited staff has a combined 200 years of experience in laboratory science, cellular biology, cord blood applications and clinical practice.
- Feel confident all possible contamination of the final cord blood unit is eliminated due to our state-of-the-art equipment that allows for a closed bag system.
- Rest assured we can securely store over 14,500 public cord blood units with room for expansion as the Central NY market grows.
Your donation is very important because it gives hope to patients in need of a transplant. We encourage all potential donors to speak with your provider about the process or any concerns you may have. We are also happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your cord blood donation.
Here are some things you need to know about the process:
- Donating cord blood is painless and it won’t disrupt your birth plan!
- Participating provider offices will hand out information to you at your prenatal visits regarding cord blood donation at UCBB.
- Before your baby is born, you must inform your provider of your decision to donate with us.
- If you intend to donate, you will be given a Cord Blood Donation Guide containing a consent form and a health history questionnaire. Once you have completed and signed these forms, we ask that you send them to the Upstate Cord Blood Bank. You may also bring them with you to the hospital if you prefer.
- When you arrive at the hospital for your delivery, please inform the staff that you are donating your cord blood as well. The hospital staff will obtain necessary blood samples from you and review the Informed Consent and Health History Questionnaire.
- Delaying cord clamping does not exclude you from being able to donate. If you wish to do both, please contact our office or your provider to discuss the best course of action.
At the time of donation:
Upstate Cord Blood Bank makes Cord Blood Donation simple and convenient. Families interested in donating are provided information about what to expect and are welcome to ask any questions. We follow strict regulations and protocols to ensure quality and confidentiality. Always remember, cord blood donation is completely safe for you and your baby. No blood is taken from your baby, it is only taken from the umbilical cord itself after your baby's birth. However, 5 blood tubes will be drawn from the mother for infectious disease testing. Your labor and delivery will not be affected and you have the right to change your mind about donation at any time. You can also refuse further processing at any time before, during, or after the collection. Upstate Cord Blood Bank will dispose of all samples received in such cases.
Cord blood banked for public use is collected directly after the baby's delivery. The umbilical cord is clamped and cut by knowledgeable medical personnel, and the blood from the umbilical vein is then extracted into a sterile collection bag. The entire donation will be collected in less than 7 minutes. The nursing staff will then ensure that the cord blood unit is sent to our facility where it is processed, tested, and stored for future transplant or research.
The Cord blood unit that has been donated, will then be listed on national and worldwide registries to be made available for transplant. However, cord blood units that are not suitable for transplantation will be used for research locally at Upstate Medical University, nationally and internationally upon consent by the mother.
We encourages you to donate your baby's cord blood, which would otherwise be discarded as medical waste, for valuable lifesaving treatments and research.
Exclusion Recommendations
The health of both the mother and baby is important. We do not recommend the mother donates under the following conditions:
- Less than 36 weeks pregnant at the time of delivery.
- Has received no prenatal care prior to delivery.
- Delivering multiples (ex. twins, triplets).
- Mother is less than 18 years old at the time of delivery
