Yes, I Will Donate Cord Blood

Much scientific knowledge has defined the need and the benefits of cord blood in the treatment against certain diseases. There is far less controversy involved with donating cord blood for general use than keeping it for personal use. Either decision has to be made prior to the birth of your child.

Within donation cases any woman who is eighteen years of age and is in general good health can be a donor. what is a cord blood transplant? to answer that you must ascertain also that your community participates in cord blood donations so that a hospital or facility will be available to secure the cord blood and process it. This is still a growing part of the medical field and is not widely accepted by every community.

There is a process to be followed if you are donating. There is a minimal fee for the donation of cord blood. You will need to first locate a hospital near you that participates in cord blood collection. Or contact a cord blood storage facility that is able to collect the cord blood after your delivery.

As much as you may wish to participate in this new donation program, it is the choice of the bank to accept or deny cord blood. After deciding to become a donor you have to follow the proper course of action. A consent form agreeing to the donation (by you) of your baby's cord blood is of foremost importance and should be the first thing offered to you in this process. A completed form containing your family's health history further ensures your eligibility to become a cord blood donor. The final consent form will regard taking a small sample of your blood to check for infectious diseases.

These steps are completed before the birth of your baby. The exact timing is totally up to the cord blood bank involved in the donation process. Preferably the thirty-fourth week of a pregnancy is a guideline most banks follow to have the acceptance or denial decided.

After the birth of a baby, the umbilical cord blood is painlessly collected. There is no pain to you or your baby within this collection process. The cord blood is then processed and frozen. Cryogenic nitrogen is used to keep the cord blood frozen. Doctors from all points of the globe can search the National Marrow Donor Program Registry in order to locate cord blood donors that are compatible for their patients who need a transplant.