The Dan Berger Cord Blood Program 

Cord blood is the blood that's left in part of the umbilical cord and placenta after the baby's birth. The baby doesn't need this extra blood.

Cord blood has all the same aspects as normal blood:

• Red blood cells
• White blood cells
• Platelets
• Plasma

It's also rich in blood-forming stem cells, like those found in bone marrow.

Doctors can use cord blood for transplant instead of bone marrow. Cord blood doesn't have to match a person's tissue type as closely as bone marrow does.

Stem cells found in cord blood can treat blood cancer such as leukemia and lymphoma.

Doctors collect cord blood right after a baby's birth, but before the placenta delivery. They take blood only after clamping and cutting the cord, so there's no risk to the baby or the mother.

In the past, hospitals threw away umbilical cords and placental tissue as medical waste. Now parents can choose to preserve this material for the chance to help their own family, community, or the public.

No.

Doctors collect cord blood outside of your body after you give birth and they cut the cord.

There's no risk and no change in the way we care for you and your baby before, during, and after delivery.

If you: donate cord blood to a public bank,

Then the bank:

• Doesn't charge you any fees.
• Lists your baby's cord blood tissue type with the National Marrow Donor Program.
• Stores it until there's a need to use it for a transplant.

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If you: store your baby's cord blood privately,

Then the bank:

• Charges an ongoing storage.
• Only releases it to you or your family for use.

You also can donate it to research, which doesn't have fees.

No.

Umbilical cord blood stem cells are:

• Free of political and ethical debate.
• Not embryonic stem cells.

Learn more about the U.S. government's support of cord blood donation and transplant.

Yes.

If you decide on delayed clamping, doctors will check the cord itself for blood after delivery. If there's not enough cord blood to use for transplant, doctors won't collect the donation.

For a private storage bank, doctors will collect the cord blood after delayed clamping since you're paying for the storage.

To Donate:

• Ask the Dan Berger Cord Blood Program to mail you the donation forms.
• Print the forms from the Vitalant cord blood donor bank website.
• Log in or create a cord blood donor account at the Vitalant website and complete them forms online.

Hospitals keep all cord blood donation kits.

To Store:

• Choose which private bank you want to store with.
• Contact thee to receive your kit and set-up your payment plan.

In an emergency, hospitals also keep private kits.