Cord blood is the blood remaining in the umbilical cord and placenta following childbirth, which is typically discarded as medical waste. This blood is rich in hematopoietic stem cells, which can develop into all types of blood cells. Banking these cells offers two primary options: private banking, where families pay a fee to store the cord blood exclusively for their child or a family member, and public donation. Public donation is an altruistic act, making the unit available to any patient worldwide who requires a matched stem cell transplant. This process is free for the donor family.
Prerequisites for Public Donation
The decision to donate cord blood requires proactive planning, as the opportunity is time-sensitive and geographically restricted. Expectant parents must first confirm that their chosen hospital is a designated collection site for a public cord blood program. Only a limited number of hospitals have the specialized staff and logistical framework required to participate. Without a pre-existing partnership between the hospital and an accredited public bank, collection is not possible at that location.
Once a participating hospital is confirmed, contact the public bank or the hospital’s donation coordinator to begin the formal enrollment process. Public banks typically require registration to be completed well before the due date, often around 28 to 34 weeks of gestation. This early contact allows sufficient time for the bank to send the necessary paperwork and for the parents to complete the comprehensive health screening.
The screening process is rigorous because the donated cells are intended for use in an unrelated, often immune-compromised patient. The mother must be at least 18 years old and complete a detailed medical and social history questionnaire to determine eligibility. This review checks for potential risks of infectious diseases (such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C) and certain genetic disorders. It also assesses recent travel history to areas with endemic diseases, as well as high-risk behaviors like recent tattoos or piercings, which could indicate a risk of bloodborne pathogen transmission.
Navigating the Collection Procedure
Once the initial screening and paperwork are completed during pregnancy, the next step occurs upon arrival at the hospital for delivery. It is important to remind the labor and delivery team (nurses, physician, or midwife) of the intent to donate, as this alerts them to prepare the specialized collection kit. The final informed consent, which confirms the donation after reviewing all risks and benefits, is typically signed at this time, often during early labor.
The actual collection of cord blood is a non-invasive procedure that takes place immediately after the baby is born. The process is entirely painless and poses no risk to the mother or the infant, as the blood is taken from the umbilical cord and placenta after separation. The medical team will clamp and cut the umbilical cord as usual, but instead of discarding the placenta and cord, a trained collector inserts a sterile needle into the umbilical vein.
Using the specialized collection bag, the residual blood is drained by gravity or gentle suction. This process usually yields between 60 and 150 milliliters of blood and takes only a few minutes. Public banks often have limits on the duration of delayed cord clamping they can accommodate, as a longer delay may leave insufficient blood volume for a viable donation. Once complete, the medical staff seals the unit, attaches identification labels, and prepares it for immediate shipment to the processing facility.
Post-Donation Testing and Public Use
Following the collection, the final administrative requirement is the retrieval of a maternal blood sample from the donor. This mandatory sample must be drawn from the mother, not the baby, usually within 24 to 48 hours after delivery. The purpose of this blood test is to perform comprehensive screening for infectious diseases, serving as a secondary confirmation to the initial questionnaire.
Once the collected cord blood unit and the maternal blood sample arrive at the bank, the processing phase begins with laboratory analysis. Technicians first test the unit for cell count and overall volume, as a minimum threshold of hematopoietic stem cells is necessary for a successful transplant. They also test for bacterial contamination and perform high-resolution tissue typing to determine the unit’s human leukocyte antigen (HLA) markers. Units that do not meet the strict quality standards, often due to low cell count or contamination, may be used for research or discarded.
Units that pass all testing criteria are cryopreserved—slowly cooled and stored in liquid nitrogen freezers for long-term preservation. The unit is then listed on a national or international registry, such as the Be The Match Registry, making it available for search by transplant centers across the globe. This donation provides a life-saving transplant for patients suffering from blood cancers or other serious blood disorders. The donor parents are typically notified once the unit has been successfully processed, accepted, and made available for public use.