What is cord blood?

Cord blood is the blood left in your placenta and the umbilical cord after your baby is born. It’s a rich source of stem cells. Stem cells are the building blocks for blood cells.

Cord blood is an alternative source of stem cells to bone marrow. Cord blood is used in many different types of medical treatments, as well as for medical research.

What is cord blood collection?

Cord blood is normally thrown away after your baby is born. However, it can be collected and stored for future use.

In Australia you can:

• donate to an AusCord public cord blood bank
• store your cord blood in a private cord blood bank

What can cord blood be used for?

Cord blood can be used as an alternative to bone marrow for bone marrow transplants, or haematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) or stem cell transplants. Stem cells from cord blood do not need to be matched as carefully as those from bone marrow.

Bone marrow transplants are most often used to treat people with diseases such as:

• blood cancers, such as leukaemia and lymphoma
• blood diseases and disorders such as aplastic anaemia and thalassaemia
• severe immune deficiencies

You might consider donating your baby's cord blood because it helps other people in Australia and throughout the world.

How will my cord blood be collected and stored?

Cord blood is collected after your baby is born, and after the umbilical cord is cut. A trained staff member will draw blood from the cord and placenta. This won't hurt you or your baby.

The cord blood collection takes about 3 minutes. It can happen before or after you deliver the placenta.

Once collected, the blood is frozen and stored in a cord blood bank.

A small amount of blood is taken for testing for infectious diseases.

How do I donate my cord blood?

To donate cord blood, you need to:

• arrange for cord blood banking before the birth
• give birth in a participating collection hospital

Deciding to bank cord blood will make no difference to your birth plan.

You will need to provide consent for:

• collection, processing, testing, storage and use of your baby’s cord blood
• testing of your blood sample

Talk to your doctor or midwife for further information. This is also a good time to ask any questions you have.

What happens after my blood is collected?

After your cord blood is collected you will be asked to:

• complete a questionnaire about your medical history
• give a blood sample

Your cord blood will be assessed to see if it’s suitable for treatment. You can also give consent for it to be used in the development of cord blood banking techniques or research.

When your baby is 6 months old, you will be contacted to make sure that you, your baby and family are healthy. If all is well, then the blood can be used to help others.

Are there any risks in cord blood banking?

There are no risks to your baby. The blood isn’t taken until after the umbilical cord has been clamped and cut.

The risks to you are small and come from taking the blood sample. This might result in discomfort and bruising.

How much does cord blood banking cost?

Donating to a public cord blood bank is free. This blood is made available to patients in Australia and overseas.

Storage in a private cord blood bank is managed by private companies that charge fees. This blood can only be used by your baby or other family members.

If you're considering using a private service, ask about all the fees involved. Further information can be found online or through your doctor.

Who gets the cord blood I've banked?

Donations to public cord blood banks are used to treat patients who need a stem cell transplant. You'll never find out who this person is, and they won't know who you or your baby are. This is like blood donation. The collection and storage are free of charge, and you receive no payment.

In special cases, you may be able to donate cord blood to a family member who needs stem cell treatment.

Can my family use my baby’s cord blood?

If you choose to use a private cord blood bank, the stem cells can be used by your baby or other family members. Private cord blood banking will involve fees.

Can everyone do public cord blood banking?

There are some reasons why you may not be able to donate your cord blood:

• factors relating to your health, that of your baby or other family members
• availability of collection staff at the time of delivery
• technical factors affecting cord blood collection

Can I bank the cord blood if I have delayed cord clamping?

Delayed cord clamping is where the umbilical cord is not clamped until:

• it has stopped pulsing
• the placenta is delivered

You can’t do cord banking if you delay cord clamping. This is because the cord must be clamped early to capture as many stem cells as possible.

Resources and support

For more information about public cord blood banks visit the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry.

You can also download and read the AusCord booklet about public cord blood banking.

AusCord is the national network of public cord blood banks:

• Sydney Cord Blood Bank (Sydney) 02 9382 0371
• Queensland Cord Blood Bank (Brisbane) 07 3163 2665
• BMDI Cord Blood Bank (Melbourne) 03 8345 3385