Have you thought about the impact of saving your baby’s cord blood? It has the potential to be a lifesaver! Cord blood is rich in stem cells that can treat around 80 different diseases, including familiar conditions like Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. To decide whether private cord blood banking is right for you, it’s beneficial to check the list of diseases treatable with cord blood-derived stem cells—especially if there’s a family history of these conditions. You can easily find the complete list online.
Just because there’s a family history doesn’t guarantee your child will need it, but it does increase the chances. If you don’t have such a history, you might consider donating cord blood to benefit someone else in need. For more information on donating, you can explore resources like Cord for Life.
Instead of discarding your newborn’s cord blood as medical waste, think about contributing to the nationwide public inventory. Donating cord blood is a straightforward, risk-free, and cost-free process. Unless there’s a medical reason preventing it, families opting not to store their baby’s cord blood privately should consider donation as a standard choice.
Why Should You Donate Cord Blood?
Cord blood is the leftover blood in the umbilical cord post-delivery, containing valuable stem cells that played a crucial role in your child’s development in the womb. These stem cells possess properties that can be used to treat various conditions. For over 30 years, stem cells from cord blood have been instrumental in saving lives.
Through the National Marrow Donor Program’s Be The Match® Registry, your child’s stem cells can be made available for those in need of a stem cell transplant. If you’re not planning to privately store the cord blood, donating it could truly make a difference in someone’s life. It’s a safe, no-cost choice, and the decision is entirely yours—donate to save lives or discard it.
Are You from a Minority Background?
Just like bone marrow transplants, stem cell transplants require genetic matching. This means that individuals from similar ethnic backgrounds have a better chance of finding a match. The Be The Match Registry is dedicated to building a public inventory of cord blood units that reflect the diverse demographics of the United States. The success of this initiative relies heavily on donors from various ethnic backgrounds.
If you’re pregnant and belong to a minority group, your decision to donate is particularly vital. It’s equally important to encourage other expecting friends from minority backgrounds to consider donation. The community should not miss out on this opportunity, and the way to ensure that is by choosing to donate your baby’s cord blood—it’s free, easy, and risk-free.
Disqualifications for Cord Blood Donation
Certain situations may disqualify an individual from donating cord blood. Here’s a quick overview of common reasons that might prevent someone from making a donation:
- Under 18 years of age
- Pregnancy with twins or multiples
- Insulin dependence
- Autoimmune disorders in the immediate family
- Cancer in the immediate family
- Platelet blood cell diseases
- HIV, Hepatitis A, B, or C
- Active syphilis or gonorrhea in the last 12 months
- West Nile virus during pregnancy
- IV drug use
- Engaging in sex for money or drugs in the past 12 months
- Having sex with a man who has had sex with another man in the past 12 months
- Use of shared or non-sterile materials for piercings or tattoos
- Travel to a malaria-risk area (one year for visitors, three years for residents)*
*Areas with malaria risk include Bangladesh, Cambodia, and many others.
What About Drug Use and STDs?
Generally, drug use does not disqualify a cord blood donation, barring the conditions mentioned above. As for STDs, most do not affect the ability to donate, except for HIV and Hepatitis C. However, currently active infections would disqualify a donation.
Diseases Treated by Cord Blood
Fortunately, the diseases and conditions treatable with cord blood are relatively rare. Here’s a look at some of those conditions:
Cancers:
- Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
- Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
- Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
- Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Blood Disorders:
- Sickle-Cell Anemia
- Thalassemia
For more on home insemination and its success, consider reading about Finding Hope with Make a Mom, a story that highlights the importance of community support.
If you’re looking for sperm donation options, check out Vegas Pregnancy, a free matching service in Las Vegas, or Make a Mom, which offers reusable at-home insemination solutions. Discover how simple at-home insemination works with this guide.
In summary, donating cord blood is a powerful way to contribute to the health and well-being of others. Not only does it hold the potential to save lives, but it also supports the diverse needs of the community. Make a choice that could change a life today!