View Full Version : Donating Cord Blood
BreithCuidiu
01-07-2009, 16:23
I just want to know how many of you wanted to donate (not privately store) your baby's cord blood, and actually got to do so.
It seems such a waste to discard an amazing life force. But often due to the time of day or night, not everyone has the chance to donate.
For those who have donated, did your cord blood ever come up for transplant? Are you hoping that it will?
I stored my kid's cord blood privately because the hospital had no public donation available. I have a deep sense of regret that another child's life cannot be saved because of this. I have asked that my stored sample be donated to the public system but this is not possible. I know that after further research, this was a waste of money and that the only need my child may have for this blood will be in old age. There's no way I'd be putting the same defective cells into their bodies. So what was the point? I'm now $5000 poorer.
Such a shame :(
sweetseven
01-07-2009, 16:29
Cord blood donated by #5. Only inconvenience to me was that I had to go to the hospital for a blood test 12 months later. I do not believe i will be told if it is ever used.
#6, placenta took too long to come, so was too late.
#7 homebirth, so not an option.
I think its a fantastic idea, i wasnt even notified that i could donate, i would love to when i have my next baby, is there anywhere i can get more information on it??
Tam-I-Am
01-07-2009, 16:33
I honestly think that it's more important that the baby gets all of that vital blood - that delayed cord clamping takes place, and the baby benefits at birth from what is rightfully it's own.
Even if I was able to donate the cord blood, now that I know the benefits of delayed cord clamping, I never would.
BreithCuidiu
01-07-2009, 16:37
I think that donating and saving a child's life is equally important to letting the cord pulsate and improve the quality of my child's life.
Who wouldn't be prud to get the call that their child's cord blood has come up for transplant and could potentially cure another child?
BreithCuidiu
01-07-2009, 16:39
I think its a fantastic idea, i wasnt even notified that i could donate, i would love to when i have my next baby, is there anywhere i can get more information on it??
It depends on where you are giving birth.
Just wondering where you got the idea that your donated cord blood may only help your children in their old age?
Currently it is can be used to treat things like leukaemia in children, whcih is not genetic and can affect any child - and that is just an example. Not to mention the research & testing currently underway to treat diabetes (has been done successfully) - a disease that yes in most cases is gentic BUT can also be caused by viral and bacterial infections.
Just dont think you should be telling people that private cord blood storage is useless...
BreithCuidiu
13-07-2009, 21:21
Exactly where in the world is it being used for the child whom the cord blood came from? In Australia there has only been one release and that was failed I hear.
i didnt donate any.... but im in a "study" and they took a sample of the cord blood and a sample of the placenta.
Then i get forms to fill out every few months about DD what she eats, how much she plays inside and outside and her developments, weight and height.
I know it probably wont help at all till she is alot older and the study has been running a few years but i hope somehow it will help in some way.
KatiesMum
13-07-2009, 21:37
But BreithCuidiu, your stored cord blood from your child can certainly be of benefit to another child of yours (if you have any) ... sibling matches are usually the best matches, so whilst I agree with you that if your child developed Leukaemia for example, you would not his his/her OWN stored cord blood, you may use a siblings.
I agree though - public banks are best.
I am surprised that they wont transfer it from your private storage to the public bank. Maybe they cannot do the required tests etc on it ???????
I looked in to it with DD1 - had to have her within business hours and she was born at 4.44am on a Saturday so that wiped that out.
Never looked in to it again - after doing a bit more research I decided I'd rather let my newborn get all that good blood intended for them. I could've donated it with DD2. she was a business hours baby.
I think cord blood banking for profit is a well marketed scam. I would prefer to seeall babies get their full quota of cord blood at birth. Cord blood collection is denying your baby what was created for them.
I would be really happy if I was able to donate my baby's cord blood. I am not sure if the hopsital I will be going to has the service available.
I think it's great that some people are able to do what they can to help others.
I fail to see how donating cord blood that is intended for the health and well being of your baby is doing a social good and really do you think they are going to call you and say hey we just used little johnies cord blood to save someones life. Nay it is like donating blood once you give it is is not yours anymore unless you are privately collecting it and as I said that is a big scam. Brisban bec if you want to help others why not start with your own baby and give him or her their cord blood that you made for them. It just isn't logical to cut and clamp straight away collect blood for someone else and in the process deny your own baby. The power of marketing I guess has people believing that they are doing something good for someone else but at who's expense ?
BreithCuidiu
12-10-2009, 07:23
I fail to see how donating cord blood that is intended for the health and well being of your baby is doing a social good and really do you think they are going to call you and say hey we just used little johnies cord blood to save someones life.
Actually they do call. They legally have to.
KatiesMum
12-10-2009, 10:35
I fail to see how donating cord blood that is intended for the health and well being of your baby is doing a social good and really do you think they are going to call you and say hey we just used little johnies cord blood to save someones life. Nay it is like donating blood once you give it is is not yours anymore unless you are privately collecting it and as I said that is a big scam. Brisban bec if you want to help others why not start with your own baby and give him or her their cord blood that you made for them. It just isn't logical to cut and clamp straight away collect blood for someone else and in the process deny your own baby. The power of marketing I guess has people believing that they are doing something good for someone else but at who's expense ?
Puah - the vast majority of births have the cord clamped and cut straight away anyway .... so donating the cord blood is not denying the baby anything at all. Just doing a community service and *possibly* helping someone else.
Childhood leukaemia can be currently treated by using donated cord blood instead of a bone marrow transplant. To me, that is something worthwhile.
I donated the blood from my first son's cord. The other 2 have both been out of hours. With my 3rd, i decided that IF he was born during the hours that the cord blood bank operated, then i would donate, if he wasn't, then i would leave the cord unclamped until it stopped pulsating.
For me, i was aware of the benefits to my child to keep the blood, but for me, the chance to cure someone elses child was something of importance too! As it was he was born out of hours, so he kept it :D.
Katie's mum - the problem here it that the vast majority of cords are cut and clamped immediately but that is a choice that the parents make. Physiologic managemnet of third stage is something we should all research and investigate it has many benefits an immediate cord clamping is denyig the baby its cord blood. I stand on my previous statement it is a well marketed campaign of doing social good, while denying you own child.
Katie's mum - the problem here it that the vast majority of cords are cut and clamped immediately but that is a choice that the parents make.
I Didnt make the choice, i had told my mibwife beforehand that i didnt want it cut straight away, but after the nurses shift change the information was lost. I also had a difficult birth and the cord was cut as soon as he was born so he could be put on the Giraffe to get checked over ASAP. Not everything is black and white, and not everybody knows the ins and outs of other peoples situations. If i had the choice i would cut the cord of my otherwise healthy child and donated it to someones elses child. Each to their own.
I would have been happy to donate and looked in to it but DD was born just after midnight on a sunday morning - so no cord collection from me! :)
I wouldn't have cared what they actually did with it. Obviously it is still a fairly new science and I feel that even if they used it for testing it would have been of some benefit (maybe!)
DailyDiversion
13-10-2009, 21:17
We intended to donate our cord blood to be available to treat other children but were unable to because DD was born outside of business hours.
While I was in labour, I specifically asked about donating the cord blood for research purposes. I was then told about a stem cell research project that the cord could be donated to. One of the Doctors involved in that study then came to chat to us about that and we gave consent for them to use the cord blood for that purpose.
We were told that it was the hospital's policy that they were unable to mention this as a possibility to patients, people could only donate for the purpose of stem cell research if they specifically asked about it.
Our DD was perfectly healthy and I don't feel that she was denied anything or suffered any detriment. On the hand, by donating we felt that we were contributing in some small way for a greater good. We have a close friend with a serious acquired spinal injury which is one of the reasons why we wanted to donate for research purposes.
SophOlivia
17-10-2009, 19:54
I fail to see how donating cord blood that is intended for the health and well being of your baby is doing a social good and really do you think they are going to call you and say hey we just used little johnies cord blood to save someones life. Nay it is like donating blood once you give it is is not yours anymore unless you are privately collecting it and as I said that is a big scam. Brisban bec if you want to help others why not start with your own baby and give him or her their cord blood that you made for them. It just isn't logical to cut and clamp straight away collect blood for someone else and in the process deny your own baby. The power of marketing I guess has people believing that they are doing something good for someone else but at who's expense ?
Your cynicism is actually a little offensive to those of us who have donated! :confused:
I chose to donate my DD#2 cord blood purely because a) we no longer required it and b) potentially someone else did. And for what it's worth, they definitely DO contact you if/when it's used. I didn't see the point in NOT donating. If there's ANY chance that I can help a family is dire medical need down the track, then it was a no brainer for us. I felt good about the decision at the time, and I still do.
The hospital (Royal Women's, Brisbane in 2008) didn't have that available, otherwise I would've thought about it.
I'm interested about this delayed cord clamping as well. How long do they recommend you delay cutting? If it is significantly beneficial and precludes donation, then that would be a difficult decision to make.
For anyone interested in learning more about physiologic third stage and benefits for baby and mother.
www.sarahjbuckley.com/articles/leaving-well-alone.htm (http://www.sarahjbuckley.com/articles/leaving-well-alone.htm)
True you cant go back and change things now once you have made the decision sorry if you find my comments offensive. Cord blood is not a useless waste product it can be of immense benefit to baby as the above article discusses. Physiologic third stage and cord blood donation are incompatible the article discusses the time it takes to trasfer it depends on a few factors gravity being one. When a woman gives birth on hands an knees and the baby is at a lower level the trasfer may be quicker than when the baby is higher than the placenta. Crying also regulates and slows the transfer of cord blood so in this way the baby is able to regulate the transfusion.
It is a very interesting article and hope you find it helpful in making a decision Ms mummy
Many hospitals are now realising the benefits of delayed cord clamping and the decision of active or physiologic managment is another decision that the parents must make. The primary reason why active management (immediate cord clamping, oxytocic injection, and controlled cord traction to deliver the placenta) became routine practice was because it was thought that it reduced bleeding from the placental site however recent research actually disputes this and it would appear that it actually has the reverse effect over the first 24 hours following the birth.
EmmasMummy
18-10-2009, 11:40
wow what a heated topic.... At the time I didnt know there was any difference in when you clamped the cord....
But anyways I have personally stored my daughters cord blood... cost me $4000 of money the government gave me as baby bonus so didnt cost me a cent really. Money well spent if it saves her life is better then a new tv or the latest baby gadget.
I stored it for my DD.... "incase" something was to happen to her....There are new cures everyday ... its stored for 18 years after that its up to DD if she wants to keep storing it....who knows where the world will be in 18 years time. There is also i think it was 90% chance the cells would be good for me if I got something and though much smaller chance good for her dad.
To me there wasnt much choice ..... If I didnt do it ... and she got sick with something that could be cured with her own cord blood I would never ever forgive myself. And if she was to get sick and it wasnt done in Australia there would be nothing stopping me taking her and her cord blood to where ever they would fix her.
some more information on the benefits of placental transufusion (delayed cord clamping).
midwifeinfo.com/articles-cord-clamping--please-wait (http://midwifeinfo.com/articles-cord-clamping--please-wait)
www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/b003248.html (http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/b003248.html)
emmas mummy so was your decision fully informed then ?
You will never know if she experiences a problem because of the early cord clamping but you will at least still have it to give back to her but wow expensive.
I prefer to give it to my baby at birth through delayed cord clamping waiting until ceasation of pulsations.
Emmas mummy did the private storage company give you any information prior to making the decision ?
EmmasMummy
23-10-2009, 10:38
Oh I thought I wrote a big long reply to this the other day ....... DD must of got to the keyboard.... opps..
Basically I think at the time my decision was fully informed and at this stage I would do it again.
But I was never given any info about early cord blood clamping from either them or the hospital... So I didn't know such a thing existed ...I would think it should be the hospital giving more info about it though.
mumma2cubs
23-10-2009, 11:54
I stand on my previous statement it is a well marketed campaign of doing social good, while denying you own child.
Well I must be the biggest sucker because I just paid the amount needed to bank this baby's cord blood.
We didn't get the opportunity from my first child as he was a public hospital birth and our local service only did it in private hospitals.
I have to be honest - I am insulted by your harsh comments - you've made it sound like the parents that cared enough and could afford it have made a decision that is entirely useless - which I don't believe is the case.
With all due respect, in these really sensitive and personal decisions, if you don't agree - how about you just don't post? Or post in a more supportive way. You've essentially told me that by not delaying the clamping I've done my children a disservice when in fact I believe I'm doing them both a giant service in case (god forbid) anything ever happen to them and they need this precious resource
Ok, let's calm it down or I'll start getting my big 'infraction stick' out! All opinions on this subject are valid, everybody just needs to be able to put their opinion across without being patronising or insulting to others.
There are benefits to banking cord blood for later use if required - an insurance policy if you like - and you never know what they'll discover with advancements in modern medicine
There are advantages to donating the cord blood for scientific research or the public cord blood bank - but this option isn't available to many because of the limited number of facilities and times available
Cord clamping seems to have great benefits to the child too - but it's not a subject that is widely known about - and hence not something that many people get offered or seem to know about. So I shall try to get some factual articles about it for our articles section on Bub Hub
Let's discuss the options, inform each other, but not imply that anybody did the wrong thing for their child because of the decision they made or because of something that they didn't know about or weren't offered at the time.
Some articles on delayed cord clamping would be good. There is quite a bit of research into this and it is out there if you look for it. Immediate cord clamping which is what has become routine in many hospitals has become the default if you dont know/care or are not informed enough to ask for a physiologic third stage of labour. I wouldn't rely on hospitals to inform you of this though it is not in their best interests as to maximise through put they want placenta out and next person in the birth suite. An efficient production line doesn't include an unhurried third stage.
I dont doubt that decisions to donate cord blood were done with the best intentions for the safeguarding of your children. I think I still have a valuable contribution to make to this discussion even if I am in opposition to the majority opinion.
Suggesting that I dont post just because I have a differing view ? I dont get that.
mumma2cubs
24-10-2009, 08:54
Suggesting that I dont post just because I have a differing view ? I dont get that.
What I meant was not to be so harsh when you are in differing opinions. This is supposed to be a site of support and knowledge sharing - clearly you have lot of knowledge. Just be mindful of how you put things :)
Sharing information and knowledge is one thing but supporting unwise or poorly thought or ill informed decisions is another thing altogether. Without questioning, discussion even passionate heated discussion. How can differing points of view ever be seen let alone discussed. Some people really do really live in a bubble and would not normally be exposed to anything but the routine mainstream thinking. If alternatives are not dicussed some people might not even know there are alternatives (which seems to have happened in relation to delayed cord clamping). The acceptance of what is must be best is flawed thinking.
I am all for more discussion and sharing of knowledge. I dont rely on some expert to tell me how to give birth parent and raise my children. The alternative is not very apealing to me personally. No way matey not me !!!
KatiesMum
24-10-2009, 13:10
puah - you are obviously a great beleiver in delayed cord clamping - and that is great.
I would suggest that perhaps if you start a new thread, linking articles or research and try and inform people on a non-confrontational basis WHY you think its so beneficial, people would listen and agree and share information on that.
Coming into a thread that is trying to promote and consider the benefits of donating cord blood which is otherwise being destroyed - and saying that everyone who donates cord blood is denying their own children is not the way to help or support anyone, and it is not the way to promote the cause of delayed clamping and natural 3rd stage of labour.
Cord Blood Donation is something that is very personal to me, as I have Luekaemia and the research and cord blood bank may be the answer to curing me one day soon.
Its not a 'pie int he sky' kind of concept - it is actually happening to help real people.
mumma2cubs
24-10-2009, 20:32
puah - you are obviously a great beleiver in delayed cord clamping - and that is great.
I would suggest that perhaps if you start a new thread, linking articles or research and try and inform people on a non-confrontational basis WHY you think its so beneficial, people would listen and agree and share information on that.
Coming into a thread that is trying to promote and consider the benefits of donating cord blood which is otherwise being destroyed - and saying that everyone who donates cord blood is denying their own children is not the way to help or support anyone, and it is not the way to promote the cause of delayed clamping and natural 3rd stage of labour.
Cord Blood Donation is something that is very personal to me, as I have Luekaemia and the research and cord blood bank may be the answer to curing me one day soon.
Its not a 'pie int he sky' kind of concept - it is actually happening to help real people.
:yelclap:
Hello,
When I gave birth to my son 12 weeks ago the private hospital I volunteered to donate his cord blood but the hospital wouldn't accept it as they said that they had plenty and not to worry about it.
In my obs clinic he had brochures supporting cord blood donations but in this particular private hospital they were not interested which really frustrated me as I wanted to help. And I saw this as an opportunity to help someone :no:
I don't know if I will store the blood next time and have it as a back up in case I need it. Every parent doesn't want to see their child suffer and it is a hard concept to swallow so next time il have to think about the bigger picture.
Cheers
Emz
BreithCuidiu
02-11-2009, 19:21
Donated cord blood is treating children with cancer and blood disorders worldwide. The majority of the people who have replied to this thread recognise this, and it is only a small minority of repliers who do not.
I must say that there are benefits to all options (donating, personal storage and delayed clamping). Personally, if I had any of the options I would donate for sure. However, I completely accept and support other women's choices and beliefs. To vehemently do otherwise is slightly arrogant.
I suggest the naysayers take a walk through Sydney Children's Hospital and then come back and tell me that they wouldn't do anything that they could to help treat a sick child.
mumma2cubs
04-11-2009, 09:14
Donated cord blood is treating children with cancer and blood disorders worldwide. The majority of the people who have replied to this thread recognise this, and it is only a small minority of repliers who do not.
I must say that there are benefits to all options (donating, personal storage and delayed clamping). Personally, if I had any of the options I would donate for sure. However, I completely accept and support other women's choices and beliefs. To vehemently do otherwise is slightly arrogant.
I suggest the naysayers take a walk through Sydney Children's Hospital and then come back and tell me that they wouldn't do anything that they could to help treat a sick child.
:thumbsup:
sarahlovesgeoff
10-11-2009, 02:04
Although I think everyone has the right to say their opinions and what they believe, I dont think it needs to be said quite so agressively...
I really like this site and all of the information it provides, as well as the information provided on the forum.
For instance, I didnt know you could donate cord blood! I only knew you could store it privately. But as I doubt I will have the finances to do that, I will donate it. I would love to see that it could save someones baby, or their own lives. Especially if one day, one of my own needed what the facility provides!
Everybody's decision is their own, but thats mine.
summerly
12-11-2009, 09:19
I wanted to donate the cord blood from my son's birth a few years ago but was told that they didn't have the facilities in Perth to do it at the time. It would have been nice to think that maybe it could have helped someone. I don't actually feel that much different about donating cord blood or my own organs, except that you don't already have to be dead to donate cord blood. That has to be a bonus.
Anyway, my husband is a medical researcher and some of the things he tells me that they have discovered are amazing. In the future, if they are able to use cells from cord blood donated by me to cure cancer or spinal damage or anything, then at least maybe when I am old I could look back and say that I did something that benefits humanity, if you know what I mean. In a selfishly altruistic way.
Tam-I-Am
30-11-2009, 22:29
Stem cells have been found in breastmilk too. I'd much prefer to donate some BM, than deprive my child of his own blood :)
RedPanda
30-12-2009, 15:23
I've saved the blood from my second child's cord and will do so for my third. I have researched, and am yet to find anything striking about letting the cord pulse. In fact, my first child's cord was left and HE was the one to get jaundiced, not the second child.
Biologically, I'm wondering why humans would be so different to other animals, who separate themselves from the cord and birth products straight after the birth (maybe so as to escape predators or something?).
Each to their own. I like the idea of letting the cord pulse, but for a variety of reasons, I've chosen the insurance of cord blood storage (privately, for my family's own use). I don't put down the decision of others, so I don't like the implication that I'm depriving my child of something or that I've just decided slap-dash to do it. Private cord storage is a huge cost and a lot of research and consideration goes into it. The info sent out by cord companies actually addresses this issue and makes you think about it before you agree.
So are you saying that animals sever the cord within 30 seconds or less of birth, before the offspring has even taken a breath. I dont think so, no only us intelligent humans do that and then we resuscitate them and take the credit ooh the baby would have died it I didn't do that.
RedPanda
15-01-2010, 14:14
I don't know how long after birth they sever it puah. I know cats separate themselves from kittens pretty soon after and clean them all off, but given that I'm not a zoologist I can't vouch for every species.
I don't really understand the wording of your last sentence. Are you linking the cutting of the cord to respiratory failure in newborns?
Tam-I-Am
15-01-2010, 14:26
I can't speak for Puah, but there is pretty good evidence that babies who are 'slow' to get going do better when they're left attached to the cord until it stops pulsating (ie need less intervention, don't require as much intervention, have better 5 and 10 minute APGAR scores etc).
I don't think that one necessarily equals the other - ie I don't think that cutting the cord necessarily leads to respiratory distress, but in the case that respiratory distress *DOES* occur, having the baby remain attached to the cord and placenta is far better than early severing of it.
Instead, in modern obstetrics, the FIRST thing that's likely to happen is for the cord to be cut and the babe whipped off to have interventions (that might otherwise be completely unnecessary and are likely to be quite traumatic for babe and parents) conducted to get it 'going' so to speak.
As a mum who HAS chosen to store cord blood, I am shocked at the posts in this topic - but I think I would be no matter what.
Bubhub to me has been a place for open discussion BUT Puah, where the person making the post has no agreed with your views, you are downright aggressive in your responses.
Do you not think if perhaps you were a little more polite in your responses then maybe soe more people may actually pay attention to what you are saying? Please do not chose this to openly slam others opinions.
If you would like information on delayed cord clamping I have posted a new thread but no one has commented so I will take that as no interest.
RedPanda
20-01-2010, 10:06
No, I wouldn't like any further info thanks Puah. I've looked into it enough and am comfortable with my decisions, but I'm sure your thread is great for those beginning to think about it.
Puah - I wouldn't take it as a lack of interest, rather that people are referring to and possibly printing out the articles you posted the links to.
Then hey can have the full complement of information on which their decisions can be based on.
Hi again,
Thanks for everyone input and suggestions
So far
I was asked to start another thread which I have done
Asked to be non confrontational even though it is a style of conversation that I like I think it works it gets people thinking and posting beyond I did this or that, but I have done as suggested.
However I dont think it is working as there have been 196 view to the other thread but no one has posted so I dont think it is working and I have wasted my time.
I personally have nothing to gain from whether people donate or not. It must be recognised that there are large sums of money to be made from the dontating of cord blood and its storage and also from advertising and promotion of this practice.
BreithCuidiu
23-01-2010, 16:12
I personally have nothing to gain from whether people donate or not. It must be recognised that there are large sums of money to be made from the dontating of cord blood and its storage and also from advertising and promotion of this practice.
Wow. You're really uneducated about the lifesaving science of cord blood transplant. I wonder if you'd knock it back if it were your child's only chance of survival?
I'm also shocked at your total ignorance regarding the future possibilities for the use of privately stored cord blood cells. Not everyone's cup of tea I admit, but those who have made the choice to do so do not deserve to be lectured on the benefits of delayed cord clamping. They're not idiots. They've researched, done lots of homework, weighed up the risks and the benefits and made an educated decision based on the facts that they have obtained.
This thread was never supposed to be a "for or against" piece. It's up to parents to make a choice about whether to publicly donate cord blood, privately store cord blood, clamp and discard the cord and placenta or delay cord clamping.
Thanks Puah for all of your information but this thread and it's readers have definitely absorbed your message and have kindly asked that you leave it be. I feel that this thread could potentially help couples to make that ultimate decision. Let's keep it simple.
Ps. There are financial and scientific differences between public and private storing, each with their own set of risks and benefits. Let's stick to the facts please.
RedPanda
23-01-2010, 16:24
Well said BC. It's not fair to judge the decisions of others who may not have someone/something in mind when storing blood. My sister has saved her baby's cord blood as her husband has an incurable blood condition which strikes him without warning every few years. It's resulted in organ removal, long hospital stays and can cause death. He requires vast amounts of donated blood to stay functional. At this stage, cord blood treatment for it is experimental, but who knows? Also, given that it's thought to be genetic and could well affect their children, I don't judge them one bit for choosing the "dangers" of donating over the "benefits" of pulsing.
Also, I'm sure she'd thank the hundreds of mothers who have donated their cords to the public system for trials.
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