How Can I Donate an Umbilical Cord?

Umbilical cord blood is the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord after the fetus is delivered, the umbilical cord is ligated and severed, and is usually discarded. Studies in the past decade have found that umbilical cord blood contains hematopoietic stem cells that can rebuild the human hematopoietic and immune system, and can be used for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to treat more than 80 diseases. Therefore, umbilical cord blood has become an important source of hematopoietic stem cells, especially a source of unrelated hematopoietic stem cells. It is also a very important human biological resource. ^[1]

Cord blood

Umbilical cord blood is the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord after the fetus is delivered, the umbilical cord is ligated and severed, and is usually discarded. Studies in the past decade have found that cord blood contains substances that can rebuild the body's hematopoietic and immune systems.

Umbilical cord blood contains a large number of stem cells. Stem cells are the seeds of life. It differentiates various cells of the human body and produces various fruits-blood cells, nerve cells, skeletal cells, and so on. With the development of technology, medical experts have developed methods to treat diseases using stem cells in cord blood.

Stem cells are a population of cells with self-renewal, high proliferation, and multiple differentiation potentials. These cells can maintain the characteristics and number of their own cells through division, and can further differentiate into various tissue cells, thereby playing an active role in tissue repair and other aspects.

Medical research in the past three decades has found that umbilical cord blood contains very rich hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which can rebuild the human hematopoietic and immune system, can be used for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, treatment of the blood system, immune system, genetic metabolism and congenital disease. Therefore, umbilical cord blood has become an important source of hematopoietic stem cells, has been widely used in clinical practice, and is a valuable human biological resource.

World's first cord blood transplant: In 1988, a 5-year-old French boy successfully cured Fanconi anemia with cord blood. (Umbilical cord blood source: United States)

World's first autologous cord blood transplant: In 1997, a 14-month Brazilian girl successfully cured neuroblastoma with autologous cord blood. (Umbilical cord blood source: Brazil)

World's First Double Cord Blood Transplant: In 2000, Peking University Institute of Hematology, the world's first double cord blood transplantation was successful in treating acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The patient weighed 95 kg and is still living a healthy life. (Source of cord blood: Beijing Cord Blood Bank)

Asia's first autologous cord blood transplant: In 2009, Beijing Children's Hospital, a small patient used his own umbilical cord blood to treat neuroblastoma. This is also the first case in China to use autologous umbilical cord blood for successful treatment. In good condition. (Source of cord blood: Beijing Cord Blood Bank)

Domestic patients are the youngest and lightest: In 2009, Shanghai Dao Pei Hospital, the smallest patient in our country-5 kg, and the youngest-2 months, a small patient with umbilical cord blood transplantation for the treatment of primary immunodeficiency disease was declared successful . (Source of cord blood: Beijing Cord Blood Bank)

The first mother-child cord blood transplantation in China: In 2009, Chongqing Xinqiao Hospital, a patient with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia, transplanted from the cord blood of a newborn son and bone marrow of his father. One month after the transplant, he left the laminar flow ward and reconstructed the hematopoietic system. This is the first case of umbilical cord blood transplantation between mother and child in China. (Source of cord blood: Beijing Cord Blood Bank)

Cure disease

Worldwide, cord blood has been used to treat various types of leukemia, aplastic anemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, neuroblastoma, mucopolysaccharidosis, thalassemia, bone marrow dysplasia syndrome, and primary immunity. Defects, chronic granulomas, and more than 80 diseases.

Umbilical cord blood collection is different from traditional bone marrow collection. It does not require anesthesia, is painless and has no side effects. It is performed after the umbilical cord is broken, so it has no adverse effects on mothers and children.

The collection should be done by a qualified medical staff. After the baby is born, the cord blood is collected using a sealed blood bag containing anticoagulants.

Collectors must be licensed and registered doctors or nurses and trained in cord blood collection.

1. Contact the local umbilical cord blood preservation institution before delivery

2. Sign the Letter of Intent for Donating Umbilical Cord Blood Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Umbilical Cord Blood Hematopoietic Stem Cell Storage Agreement, and receive the cord blood collection device

3. When pregnant women give birth, umbilical cord blood is collected by medical staff

4. The pregnant woman will call the cord blood bank immediately after giving birth. The cord blood collected will be sent by a professional blood collector to the cord blood bank within 24 hours.

5. Umbilical cord blood bank uses the most advanced equipment to prepare and perform multiple tests on cord blood.

6. Qualified umbilical cord blood is finally stored in a liquid nitrogen tank at -196 ° C to ensure the activity of umbilical cord blood.

7. The customer will receive the Umbilical Cord Blood Test Report within 60 working days after the baby is born.

At present, the seven cord blood banks approved by the Ministry of Health of China include: Beijing Umbilical Cord Blood Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bank, Tianjin Umbilical Cord Blood Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bank, Shanghai Umbilical Cord Blood Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bank, Shandong Cord Blood Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bank, Guangdong Cord Blood Hematopoietic stem cell bank, Zhejiang province cord blood hematopoietic stem cell bank, Sichuan province cord blood hematopoietic stem cell bank.

At the same time, the Ministry of Health stipulates that each province and city can only establish one cord blood bank, and cannot collect cord blood in different places. If mothers want to store or donate cord blood, they must check the qualification of the cord blood bank. Practice License.

The Beijing Umbilical Cord Blood Bank successfully passed the AABB certification of the American Blood Bank Association, becoming the first of seven cord blood banks approved by the Ministry of Health in China to receive this award.

The purpose of AABB certification is to promote and comprehensively guarantee the improvement of cord blood quality, to better meet the high-quality medical needs of cord blood storage families and clinicians, and to promote cord blood-related services to strictly follow international standards in order to obtain proper treatment and Storage, to the greatest extent, ensure the interests of the umbilical cord blood storage family and the safety of clinical blood.

AABB certification is derived from the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB). This organization was founded in 1947 and is a non-profit international organization focused on blood transfusion medicine and related cell therapy practices and scientific progress. For a long time, AABB is committed to improving the treatment and safety of patients and donors by formulating and publishing quality and technical standards, providing certification and education services, and is the author of the international blood transfusion industry industry norms and industry certification authority.