Why Do We Need Public Cord Blood Banks?

The availability of cord blood through a public program has the great potential of making this cutting-edge technology available to those patients in search of a suitable stem cell match but do not have access to related stem cells.

Why Donate?

Donating your baby's cord blood is a way for you to preserve the potentially lifesaving stem cells found in the blood of your newborn's umbilical cord for the good of others. Seventy percent of patients who need a cord blood or bone marrow transplant are unable to find a matching donor, according to the National Marrow Donor Program. A transplant of cord blood from an unrelated donor may be their best treatment option. Cord blood donations also enable researchers to develop new life saving medical therapies.

How Much Does It Cost?

There is no fee to collect, process and store your newborn's cord blood. However, you may be required to take an HIV test. If your medical insurance does not cover the cost, you will be responsible for the cost of the test. Public banks also charge $15,000 to $35,000 when a unit is provided for transplantation.

Can Every Pregnant Woman Donate?

Unfortunately not. Cord blood donations used for transplants require a thorough family medical history. Be sure to check with the donation facility for their qualification criteria. Some banks will use donate cord blood not suitable for transplants for research in an effort to find cures for many life threatening diseases.

Do Families Still Have Access to Their Donated Sample in Case of Future Need?

Donating means that there is a possibility that your cord blood units might not be available for your family’s use in future.

Where Can I Donate?

Although every area does not have a local program, there are facilities available that are able to receive cord blood donations from any hospital and state. Check the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) website for a list of affiliated public banks.

The NMDP also has a list of non-affiliated banks that you may call. These banks have a wider network of collecting hospitals, including prestigious organizations such as the New York Blood Center.

To reach the NMDP, you may call (800) 627-7692.

What is the Government Doing to Help?

In 2005, the federal government passed The Stem Cell Research Act of 2005. It committed $79 million to create a unified National Cord Blood Stem Cell Banking program to increase the inventory of newborn stem cells accessible to the public by 150,000 units before 2009, which creates the possibility of matching unrelated stem cells to more than 90 percent of patients in need.

In June 2007, President George W. Bush issued an Executive Order to focus financial and scientific resources on research directed at alternative sources of pluripotent stem cells, including umbilical cord blood.