What is cord blood banking?

What is cord blood?

Cord blood is the blood in the placenta and umbilical cord which is usually thrown away after a baby is born. However, this blood is rich in stem cells which can be used in the same way as bone marrow to treat specific cancers and other diseases.

It is collected by clamping and cutting the umbilical cord in the same manner as it would be for normal delivery of a baby. Blood is then drawn from the umbilical cord into a collection bag. By law, anyone collecting cord blood must be appropriately trained and working under the authority of an HTA (Human Tissue Authority) licence.

Medical experts are constantly discovering more diseases which can be treated with these stem cells which is why parents are encouraged to donate their baby's cord blood. 

If you have not given prior consent for your cord blood to be collected either by a trained member of NHS staff or privately, your placenta containing the blood will be thrown away.

Public cord blood donation

There are two public cord blood banks in the UK: the NHS Cord Blood Bank and the Anthony Nolan Cord Blood Bank which both collect, store and test donations. You will not be charged anything to donate your blood but that is because the stem cells are for public use and are not kept for individuals or families to use.

If in the future you or a family member needs a stem cell transplant this bank will be searched for a match and of course there is a chance that your sample could be used. However, it may have already been used on another patient. 

In the UK, cord blood collection for banking is undertaken only at certain hospitals. These sites have been chosen because of the ethnic variety of the local population which will help increase the access to transplants for ethnic minorities. Only patients giving birth at these hospitals can donate to these public banks.

Private cord blood donation

It is also possible to pay a private facility to store your baby's cord blood in case you or a family member need it in the future. You will be charged a collection fee and most likely an annual storage charge. Some families want to store cord blood in case a child or a sibling is diagnosed with a metabolic, immunological or haematological disease which could be treated with a cord blood transplant. 

These private companies use third party mobile collection services, staffed by someone trained to take blood. This means the process can be carried out at most UK hospitals. This units of blood are not stored on any national or international registries.

What is it used for?

Once the cord blood has been separated from the red blood cells and plasma it is frozen until a patient requires it. Research has found that it can be stored for over 25 years and still be successfully used in a stem cell transplant.

All units are registered on the British Bone Marrow Registry, Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide and can be given to patients in the UK and in other countries.

Cord blood transplants can be used for children with blood diseases such as leukaemia and for when bone marrow fails to produce the cells it should. It can also help patients with conditions such a sickle cell anaemia and those who have immune system disorders.

If the cord blood is not suitable for clinical use it will be used for research instead.

Who can donate?

You have to be over 17 to donate and must not have ever been diagnosed with syphilis, HIV, HTLV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C.

Collections have been temporarily stopped due to the Covid-19 pandemic but you can register here if your baby is not due imminently https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/cord-blood-bank/donate/register-to-donate/ 

:: Find out more at https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/cord-blood-bank/what-is-cord-blood/