Why Cord Blood?
Tolerant Matching
A close match between a patient and a donor can improve the patient’s outcome after a transplant. Even though a closely-matched cord blood unit is preferred, clinical studies suggest the match may not have to be as close as is needed for marrow or peripheral blood transplants. If you have an uncommon tissue type, your doctor may not find a closely matched adult donor for you. Cord blood, however may be an option.¹
Quickly Available
Cord blood is stored and ready to use. A cord blood unit can be selected and delivered to a transplant center in less than one week, whereas it can take two months or more to find an unrelated marrow or peripheral blood donor. Your doctor may choose cord blood if you need a transplant quickly.
Fewer Complications
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common post-transplant complication that can range from mild to life-threatening. Studies have found that after a cord blood transplant, fewer patients get GVHD than after marrow or peripheral blood transplants. Patients who did get GVHD after a cord blood transplant tended to get less severe cases.²
1 – Eapen M, Rubinstein P, Zhang MJ, et al. Outcomes of transplantation of unrelated donor Cord Blood: Biology, Transplantation, Banking, and Regulation 630 umbilical cord blood and bone marrow in children with acute leukemia: A comparison study. Lancet 2007;369:1947-54.
2 – Gluckman E, Rocha V, Boyer-Chammard A, et al. Outcome of cord blood transplantation from related and unrelated donors. Eurocord Transplant Group and the European Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group. N Engl J Med 1997;337:373-81.
Facts
- Mothers delivering a healthy, single baby at a participating LifeSouth Cord Blood hospital are eligible to donate cord blood
- Information on additional public cord blood donation options are available through the National Marrow Donor Program.
- The cord blood donation process does not affect the labor or delivery in any way.
- LifeSouth Cord Blood does not charge to collect, process or store any donated cord blood unit.
- LifeSouth Cord Blood accepts donated cord blood only – we do not store cord blood for private use.
- Umbilical cord blood is a non-controversial source of blood-forming stem cells.
- Cord blood units that do not meet criteria for use in transplantation may be used for research or training purposes or they are discarded.
- LifeSouth Cord Blood assesses the donating mother’s medical history and risk behaviors to decide if the cord blood unit is a bankable unit. A cord blood mother must complete the registration, background, family history and risk assessment questionnaires after donation to determine whether the unit can be made available for transplant.
- LifeSouth Cord Blood tests the blood of all donating mothers for infectious disease markers including HIV 1/2; West Nile Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, HTLV – I/II; Syphilis, Chagas and CMV.
- Qualifying cord blood cells are frozen at a controlled rate and stored in a liquid nitrogen cryostorage holding tank where they remain viable for years.
- Brochures and Informed Consent forms are available at all LifeSouth Cord Blood collecting hospitals and at OB/GYN practices supporting each collection hospitals. Call 1-888-795-2707 x41738 to order.
Treatable Diseases
Acute Biphenotypic Leukemia
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
Acute Myelofibrosis
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)
Acute Undifferentiated Leukemia
Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD)
Agnogenic Myeloid Metaplasia (Myelofibrosis)
Amegakaryocytosis / Congenital Thrombocytopenia
Aplastic Anemia
Ataxia-Telangiectasia
Bare Lymphocyte Syndrome
Beta Thalassemia Major (aka Cooley’s Anemia)
Cartilage-Hair Hypoplasia
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML)
Common Variable Immunodeficiency
Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemia
Diamond-Blackfan Anemia
DiGeorge Syndrome
Erythropoietic Porphyria
Essential Thrombocythemia
Fanconi Anemia
Glanzmann Thrombasthenia
Granulomatous Disease
Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis
Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Hunter Syndrome (MPS-II)
Hurler Syndrome (MPS-IH)
Infantile Genetic Agranulocytosis (Kostmann Syndrome)
Juvenile Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (JCML)
Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML)
Krabbe Disease(Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy)
Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome
Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency
Lymphoproliferative Disorder, X-linked (Susceptibility to Epstein-Barr virus)
Lymphoproliferative Disorders
Maroteaux-Lamy Syndrome (MPS-VI)
Medulloblastoma
Metachromatic Leukodystrophy
Morquio Syndrome (MPS-IV)
Mucolipidosis II (I-cell Disease)
Multiple Myeloma
Myelokathexis
Neuroblastoma
Neutrophil Actin Deficiency
Niemann-Pick Disease
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (Burkitt’s Lymphoma)
Omenn Syndrome
Osteopetrosis
Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH)
Pearson’s Syndrome
Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease
Plasma Cell Leukemia
Polycythemia Vera
Pure Red Cell Aplasia
Refractory Anemia
Refractory Anemia with Excess Blasts
Refractory Anemia w/ Excess Blasts in Transformation
Refractory Anemia with Ringed Sideroblasts
(Sideroblastic anemia)
Reticular Dysgenesis
Retinoblastoma
Sandhoff Disease
Sanfilippo Syndrome (MPS-III)
Scheie Syndrome (MPS-IS)
SCID which is X-linked
SCID with absence of T & B Cells
SCID with absence of T Cells, Normal B Cells
SCID with Adenosine Deaminase Deficiency (ADA-SCID)
Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome
Sickle Cell Disease
Sly Syndrome (MPS-VII) (beta-glucuronidase deficiency)
Systemic Mastocytosis
Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia
Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome
Wolman Disease³
3 – (https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/diseases accessed 2.5.2019)