FAQs

No. Cord blood stem cells do not come from an embryo. They are in the blood of the umbilical cord and placenta.

Almost any family can donate their baby’s cord blood. Both mom and baby must be healthy, with no history of infectious disease and it must be a single birth (meaning not twins or triplets).

After the baby is born, the physician or midwife will drain the blood remaining in the placenta into a sterile, labeled bag. The collection is painless. No blood is taken from the baby.

The cord blood bank keeps your names confidential; it protects the privacy of the donating family. Names are not shared with any patient or transplant center. The baby’s cord blood is identified by number, never by name.

Donated cord blood is available for use by anyone who needs it. If the cord blood is in the bank, it would be available for a member of the donating family who is in need of a transplant. Keep in mind that the cord blood might not be a good tissue match even though the patient is related to the baby.

Cord blood is processed, frozen and stored in the J.P. McCarthy Cord Stem Cell Bank at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. This local, public cord blood bank is a network bank in the National Marrow Donor Program. From there, it can be searched and accessed by medical professionals around the world looking for a donor match for transplantation.

Cord blood is the blood left over in the umbilical cord and placenta after a baby is born.

Unless the family decides otherwise, the baby’s cord blood is thrown away as a medical waste product.

• Donations to a public cord blood bank - Cord blood can be donated to a public cord blood bank. This makes the cord blood available for any person in need of a transplant. It is done anonymously. There is no charge to you if you donate the cord blood to a public bank.
• Donations for Research - Cord blood can be donated for research studies. Doctors, researchers, laboratories and technology companies conduct studies on cord blood to develop new therapies and learn more about the biology of cells.
• Private cord blood banking - Cord blood can be stored in a private cord blood bank for use by your family. In the event that someone related to your baby requires treatment for leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell disease or another serious condition, the cord blood might provide a suitable match for a transplant. Collection and annual storage fees will be charged.

If you decide to bank or donate your baby’s cord blood, arrangements must be made before you deliver the baby.

If you agree to donate your baby’s cord blood, you will be asked to:

• Spend 15 minutes speaking with a Cord Blood Bank staff member to complete a confidential maternal and family history form.
• Sign a consent form.
• The mother will be asked to provide a blood sample, drawn from her arm when she is admitted to the hospital, which will be tested for infectious diseases like hepatitis and HIV.