Donating Your Baby's Cord Blood and Placenta: What to Know

Cord blood contains blood-forming stem cells used in transplants for leukemia, immune deficiencies, and other disorders. Parents can donate to public banks - typically free to the donor - by enrolling during pregnancy and arranging collection at delivery. Cord tissue and placenta are mainly research sources today. Discuss cord clamping and logistics with your provider and the bank before labor.

Why parents consider donation

Many parents think about keeping their baby's umbilical cord or a lock of hair as a memento. An alternative is to donate the cord blood (and in some programs, placental tissue) to a public bank. Donation turns material that would otherwise be discarded into a potential treatment source for people with blood, immune, or metabolic disorders.

What is in cord blood and placenta tissue?

Cord blood contains hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells that can rebuild bone marrow and the immune system. Since the 1980s, cord blood transplants have treated leukemias, lymphomas, certain inherited metabolic diseases, and primary immune deficiencies.

Cord tissue and parts of the placenta contain different cell types (including mesenchymal stromal cells) that are under active research. Their clinical applications are more limited today and are mostly experimental or investigational.

How public cord blood donation works

If you choose public donation, you register with a qualified public bank during pregnancy (many recommend enrolling by about 34 weeks). The bank provides a collection kit and consent forms. At delivery, trained staff collect the cord blood after the cord is clamped and cut. The process is safe for mother and baby and does not interfere with routine care.

Collected units are tested, processed, and stored only if they meet quality and volume thresholds. Usable units are listed on national and international registries so transplant centers can find matches. Public banks typically do not charge the donor; costs for processing and storage are covered by the bank, health systems, or research funding.

Public vs. private banking

Public banks make donations available to any compatible patient and support medical research. Private (family) banks store cord blood for exclusive use by the donor family for a fee. Professional medical societies generally recommend public donation when possible, unless a family member has a known medical need for stem cells.

Practical points and timing

• Talk with your obstetrician or midwife about your plan, especially if you want delayed cord clamping - it can reduce the volume available for collection, so discuss pros and cons.

• Confirm the hospital accepts collections and that your chosen bank has a relationship with the facility.

• Enrollment, consent, and a collection kit should be arranged before labor. If your bank declines a collection at delivery (common if volume or quality is low), you can still pursue other options.

Donation is noninvasive and poses no added risk. Public cord blood banking supports equitable access to stem cell transplants and scientific research. If you have questions about uses of donated tissue (clinical transplant vs. research), ask the bank and review the consent forms carefully.