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Public Donation

The Pros
Donating your baby’s cord blood can possibly help a family member in need. The blood in the umbilical cord is unique because it contains large amounts of stem cells. These cells are currently being researched for their potential in treating patients with life-threatening diseases, as well as for their current uses. A major difference between cord blood and bone marrow transplants lies in the fact that although some patients have a family member who can donate blood stem cells, it is generally believed that roughly 75% of patients will not find a matching donor in their family. Cord blood donations can give more patients hope of finding a match.

The Cons
Donating cord blood to a public bank is different from storing the cord blood for your family’s private use. The donated cord blood is not reserved for your family. Therefore, if someone in your family needs a transplant, your chance to use the cord blood that you’ve donated is gone. In addition, some donated cord blood units cannot be stored, as some units are simply too small or possess other reasons that make them unsuitable for storage in a public bank.

Another factor to consider is that cord blood donation is currently not possible in many communities. Many communities do not have the resources necessary to set up and operate a public cord blood bank. Although several cord blood banks are in development throughout the United States, it is believed that the annual number of births far exceeds the expected need for cord blood storage.