Saving Lives by Donating Umbilical Cord Blood after Birth

If you can save a life with something that is disposed off then you should. After all you have just given life to a new born child, and if you can bring joy and happiness into some people's life by donating something that is no longer of use to you, then you should. Saving precious human lives is a noble cause; therefore donating umbilical cord blood is a noble cause. Researchers found that the stem cells in the umbilical cord could be transplanted, and used to save children suffering from fatal diseases like leukemia or lymphoma.  

If you are expecting and decide to donate the umbilical cord blood, talk to your doctor or midwife about your decision. You must do this in the 34th week of your pregnancy. You will need to determine if the hospital is listed with a cord blood bank. Remember that there are not very many facilities of cord blood banking right now, and you may need to get in touch with the National Marrow Donor Program Network of public cord blood banks. Until recently, there were less than 200 hospitals in the United States that were affiliated with public cord blood banks. This caused a number of potential donors to discard the idea of donating umbilical cord blood.

However, now there is a Public Kit donation program. Potential mothers who want to donate the umbilical cord blood are sent a kit, which contains vials and a bag with blood thinner for preventing the cord blood from clotting. The mother's sample blood is stored in a vial, and used by the blood bank for screening. The doctor is taught how to collect the cord blood in an online session, which takes just seven minutes. The maximum turnaround time from the time the cord blood is extracted and stored, in a cord blood bank is 48 hours. The United States government and the cord blood banks share the cost of collection, processing and storage which can typically cost $2,500. The mother is not charged for making the donation.

More and more expectant mothers are joining this program and donating cord blood. The facilities for storing cord blood are also increasing. With the federal government backing the cord blood donation program, soon cord blood banks will be as common as blood banks, and more patients’ lives will be saved.