Through Brigham and Women’s Hospital Cord Blood Donation Program your baby’s cord blood is donated to a public bank, where it may be found to match any of the patients around the world who search the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry for an available match.
Is there any type of follow-up required?
If enough cord blood is collected to use in transplant, we obtain the following before you are discharged from the Hospital:
- Family medical history questionnaire
- Maternal blood sample to test for infectious diseases
What if the cord blood I donate isn’t eligible for banking?
The most common reason a cord blood unit cannot be used is due to insufficient blood volume or stem cell count.
If a cord blood donation is not banked we may not complete the follow-up with you, and the cord blood may be used for medical research or disposed of as biological waste.
Will I ever find out if my baby’s cord blood is used?
If your baby’s cord is selected, you may be contacted regarding the health status of both you and your baby. We cannot disclose if the cord blood has been used to protect your identity and that of the recipient.
Is my name or my baby’s name added to the Registry?
No. We use a barcoding system to identify the cord blood unit, so we would be able to track and retrieve it should your family develop a need or should you wish to withdraw from the program.
How is my privacy and that of my baby protected if I donate to a public cord blood bank?
The mother and baby’s information are kept strictly confidential. Your identities are never associated with the release of a cord blood unit for transplantation. After the maternal samples are tested, if there is a positive infectious disease result, the cord blood bank would be mandated by law to notify you and the State Public Health department.
