Umbilical cord blood donation

What is the difference between the public bank and the private bank?

The basic difference between the two is that the SCU is "DONATED" in the Public Bank and "SAVED" in the private one. The donation to a public bank implies the generous act by which the cord blood can be used for any patient who needs it, even by the "donor" himself in case it has not been used.

If you choose to store the cord blood in a private Bank, said unit may only be used by the individual himself. The decision to opt for one or the other is personal and we cannot influence one or the other.

What happens if I donate the cord blood and then my child needs it?

The chances that the stored blood can be used by the child who was attached to that cord, today are one in 100.000 because the cells could be affected and the disease could appear again once the transplant is done.

According to data from the ONT, so far only 3 cases of transplantation of these cords have been registered in the world for autologous use, that is, for the child from which it comes, and always in acquired diseases, not congenital.

In the event that my child develops an oncological disease or similar, and I have donated the cord blood, is there a problem?

In that case you should notify the Bank to which you have donated the SCU to dispose of it if it is still available.

If I don't donate the cord blood and then I need a transplant, can I be denied?

No. No one is denied a transplant, neither women who have not donated their cord, nor those who have never been pregnant, nor men (who have never been able to donate cord blood either)

What happens if I want to donate the cord blood and the gynecology team decides that the extraction should not be done?

The decision to extract the cord blood or not is ultimately made by the medical team that assists the delivery, regardless of the opinion of the donor. If any circumstance during childbirth advises against extraction, it will not be performed.

I give birth in a clinic that is not on the list, can I donate the SCU altruistically if I pick up the bag and take it to the Transfusion Center?

No. The Blood Bank has a signed agreement with public and private centers. This agreement is not just the signing of a paper. As a center that operates internationally, we are obliged to comply with very strict quality regulations, both national and international. We need to certify that the staff that performs the extraction is trained by us, that we have reviewed the facilities in which the blood is stored until it is transferred to the SCU Bank, and that the transport is an authorized transport. This is the reason why it can only be donated in clinics and maternity hospitals authorized by the Transfusion Center.

What happens to my donation if it does not meet the quality standards necessary for cryopreservation and future transplantation?

These laces are not discarded. They are sent to different centers for research in projects such as the CNIO, CIEMAT...

Currently, the CTM has an agreement with more than 20 groups that have lines of research with stem cells (abundant cells in umbilical cord blood), so it is a magnificent opportunity. The goal of these research projects continues to be to save lives or improve people's health.

The Transfusion Center no longer wants more donations due to lack of space and that is why many are thrown away.

The Transfusion Center has never lacked space for the cryopreservation of umbilical cord blood donations. It is also worth highlighting the recent acquisition of new, modern, high-capacity storage tanks that will allow us to store more than 10.000 new units of umbilical cord blood.

Laces that have been cryopreserved for years and have not been used are discarded.

The Blood Center scrupulously follows all ONT indications, as well as continuous monitoring of the published literature on SCU cryopreservation. At this time there is no scientific evidence to show that laces "have an expiration date". Because of this, no donation is thrown away because time has passed. Cords from 20 years ago have recently been requested and sent for transplantation with good results. No cord is being pulled at present.

Cord blood donation is very harmful to the baby.

In no case does the donation of umbilical cord blood harm the baby. The priority in a birth is the baby, the donation never comes before the well-being of the baby.

Both the extraction and the clamping of the cord will be carried out once the baby is born and after the time recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). (late impingement)

Cords are not processed on weekends and if your delivery is on the weekend, the cord blood will be discarded.

It isn't true. Cord blood donation has a processing time limit of 48 hours after delivery. Cords are processed in the TC from Monday to Saturday, and there is also an on-call service for emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you need the donated cord blood in the future and it is still in the Public Bank, you will never be able to get it back for yourself or your family.

If in the future the donor or a family member develops a disease for which the use of cord blood is indicated, and upon request of the specialist, the donor may request the SCU. This option could be given as long as the SCU continues to be cryopreserved in the Bank of the Community of Madrid.

To become a SCU donor, many procedures have to be carried out and it is a very costly process both in terms of time and logistics for the maternity hospitals and the donor.

The process is very simple. The Informed Consent must be signed (like any donation or for any medical test).

In addition, you will be provided with a questionnaire with questions related to your life that are easy to answer (as is done for conventional blood donations).

You do not have to worry about the rest of the process since the authorized Maternity Hospitals have the information, training in the necessary procedures and materials.

All donations of hematopoietic progenitors must comply with the regulations established by the Real Decreto-ley 9/2014 that regulates the utilization of human tissues. The highlights of any donation are:

• Confidentiality: In no case may information that allows the identification of the donor and/or the recipient be provided or disclosed.
• Gratuity: In no case may compensation be received for the donation, nor will the recipient be required to pay.
• Obtaining parents can only be done in duly authorized centers.

The legislation establishes that all the SCU units that are stored in Spanish territory must be universally available, which means that they can be used by anyone who needs them with the sole condition that there is a medical indication and the compatibility that is estimated suitable between them.