Our program gives parents the option of preserving their baby's umbilical cord blood for future health care needs or research.
Learn more about Dan Berger and the history of the cord blood banking program (PDF).
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:
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.
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:
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:
Hospitals keep all cord blood donation kits.
To Store:
In an emergency, hospitals also keep private kits.
The Dan Berger Cord Blood Program is unique in that it offers parents three options from which to choose:
Do you want to know more about umbilical cord blood banking? Or do you need help making an informed decision about what to do with your baby's cord blood?