Obstetrics resources
Why collect cord blood?
Research shows that OB/GYNs play a significant role in educating and encouraging mothers about cord blood donation.
Your willingness to collect your patient's umbilical cord blood for public donation is a gift that brings hope to patients with life-threatening diseases who may need a transplant from a donated cord blood unit.
To collect cord blood for donation to a public cord blood bank, training and passing an assessment are required. This module may be one way that the bank you associate with documents compliance.
Your willingness to collect your patient's umbilical cord blood for public donation is a gift that brings hope to patients with life-threatening diseases who may need a transplant from a donated cord blood unit.
To collect cord blood for donation to a public cord blood bank, training and passing an assessment are required. This module may be one way that the bank you associate with documents compliance.
Umbilical cord blood collection training for public donation
This training, developed by NMDPSM in cooperation with public cord blood banks, includes instruction on proper cord blood collection procedures and a post-training assessment.Public cord blood collection: background and technique
This 13-minute educational video explains the background and technique for cord blood collection for public donation.
Cord blood collection best practices
Collection methods differ for public banking and can make all the difference in producing a bankable unit. You play a key role in collecting high quality cord blood units that are free of contamination and rich in total nucleated cell count.
The Quick Guide to Collecting Cord Blood for Public Donation contains key elements necessary for high-quality cord blood unit collection. Contact your local public cord blood bank to request copies.
Cord blood use in transplantation
Donated cord blood is being increasingly used as a source of hematopoietic stem cells in allogeneic transplantation. View cord blood transplant outcomes and trends data.
Physicians may consider umbilical cord blood for patients who need an unrelated donor and have an uncommon HLA type (making it difficult to identify a full match) or are in urgent need of a transplant. Umbilical cord blood transplants are used more often for pediatric patients, but cord blood use has grown in both adult and pediatric populations. Learn more about the expanding use of cord blood in transplant.
How we help
We have 19 public cord blood banks in our network that work with hospitals across the United States to collect umbilical cord blood for donation and for listing on NMDP Registry. We partner with these banks to help educate parents, provide education to medical professionals, and to facilitate the cord blood transplants. Find a list of hospitals that collect cord blood for public donation, and the banks that work with these hospitals.
Expectant parents have many cord blood banking options including donating to a public cord blood bank, storing cord blood in a family cord blood bank or saving cord blood for a sibling who has a medical need. Several medical societies and agencies have issued statements on cord blood banking options:
Cord blood banking options
Expectant parents have many cord blood banking options including donating to a public cord blood bank, storing cord blood in a family cord blood bank or saving cord blood for a sibling who has a medical need. Several medical societies and agencies have issued statements on cord blood banking options:
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Committee Opinion on Umbilical Cord Blood Banking, Committee Opinion on Delayed Umbilical Cord Clamping After Birth and FAQs about cord blood donation.
- American Medical Association ethical guidelines for physicians about umbilical cord blood.
- American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy position statement and committee report on cord blood collection and preservation.
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cord Blood Information
Resources for expectant parents
As you discuss cord blood donation with your patients, please feel free to use any of the resources we offer.
Cord blood donation eligibility
View patient-friendly information on cord blood donation eligibility, if it’s available in your patient’s area and what donating cord blood means for patients.Cord blood collection for public donation
This video explains cord blood collection for public donation and how your patient can give hope to someone with a life-threatening disease.Parent's Guide to Cord Blood
The primary mission of the Parent's Guide to Cord Blood is to educate parents with accurate and balanced information about cord blood banking and medical therapies.
