What is cord blood donation?

Cord blood is the stem-cell-rich blood left in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth. When you donate your baby's cord blood, it's stored in a public bank where it’s available to help any patient in need.

Donating cord blood to a public bank in the United States is free. Collecting cord blood for donation is safe and painless for you and your child, because it's done after the umbilical cord is cut.

Your donation could be a lifesaving match for a cancer patient. Most cancer patients who need stem cell transplants don't have a donor in their family, and they need parents like you to arrange for donation of their baby's cord blood.

To learn more about how cord blood is collected and why it's so valuable, read our overview article on cord blood banking.

What are public cord blood banks and how do they work?

There's a network of public cord blood banks in the United States that can take your donation. Most public banks are nonprofit organizations, and all public cord blood banks must meet stringent quality standards.

If a mother meets eligibility requirements and her baby's cord blood is determined to be suitable for transplant, it's stored in a public cord blood bank, and the cord blood unit is listed on the Be the Match Registry. (Most blood found not suitable for transplant is used for further research.)

Be the Match is a nonprofit organization that supports public cord blood banks' efforts to encourage donations. It maintains the largest public listing of donated cord blood available for transplantation in the United States. The organization has facilitated more than 12,500 unrelated cord blood transplants since the year 2000.

Once donated cord blood is listed on the Be the Match Registry, doctors can access it to treat patients who need stem cell transplants. Public cord blood banks keep the names of both mothers and babies confidential to protect the privacy of families.

Scientists estimate the chances of a pediatric patient finding a cord blood donor on the Be the Match Registry at over 90 percent for all ethnic backgrounds.

But more cord blood donations are desperately needed to cover the transplant needs of adults. And cord blood donations from newborns of diverse racial backgrounds are especially needed. Tissue types are inherited, so patients who need a stem cell transplant are more likely to find a matched cord blood unit from someone with the same ethnic background.

How do I get started donating my baby's cord blood?

Ideally, you'll sign up to donate when you're between 28 and 34 weeks pregnant (although some hospitals will take donations at the last minute). Most U.S. public cord blood banks and hospitals need several weeks before your baby arrives to check your health history and eligibility to donate.