Yes. Your donation could provide a stem cell transplant for someone in need anywhere in the world.

We don’t store cord blood for private use. In the unlikely event that someone in your family needs a cord blood donation in the future, their doctors would search public registers.

As well as the above tests, we'll do virology and bacteriology tests. These tests will look for any dangerous viruses or bacteria, to make sure it’s safe for a transplant. We also check for genetic conditions (duplicating the neonatal screening tests) and do haematology tests to see how many stem cells there are in your baby’s cord blood.

We’ll test for any diseases or infections, so we can make sure your baby’s cord blood is safe to use for a transplant. This includes tests for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and HTLV. We may test for malaria, depending on your travel history. We’ll also do a DNA analysis to obtain your tissue type (HLA). This is how we’ll match your cord blood to someone in need of a lifesaving transplant.

If you test positive for anything, we’ll pass the information to your doctor who will advise you on any treatment.

Cord blood contains haematopoietic stem cells which can differentiate into white and red blood cells. Cord tissue (the actual umbilical cord) contains mesenchymal stem cells. These stem cells differentiate into many different cell types such as osteoblasts (bone cells) and myocytes (muscle cells).

We use cord blood and tissue to isolate different cells. Research into each cell type will further our understanding into many different research areas. For example, we’re using cord blood to isolate haematopoietic stem cells, which can be analysed in different environments to further our understanding of cell therapies.

In the near future, we’ll be isolating mesenchymal stem cells from cord tissue. Mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into many other cells, depending on their environment. So, from one lot of mesenchymal stem cells, we can produce many different cell types – this means research into many different areas, not only blood cancers and blood disorders!

We’ll visit before you leave hospital to take a small blood sample from you (not your baby).

We’ll also take you through the full consent form if you didn’t sign it before the birth, and ask some routine medical history questions.

Within 30 hours, a courier will take your baby’s cord blood to our cord blood bank, the Anthony Nolan Cell Therapy Centre in Nottingham. We’ll test it to see if it has enough stem cells to use for a transplant and, if it does, we’ll freeze and store it until someone needs it.

If it doesn’t, we’ll either dispose of it using standard medical procedures or use it in vital research.

We have a finite number of people who can collect cord blood. In the unlikely situation that there are multiple births (from mums who have opted to donate) at the same time, we sometimes can’t collect from all of them. Any cord blood has to be collected immediately to be effective.

If this happens, your umbilical cord and placenta will be disposed of using standard NHS maternity procedures.

Other reasons we might not collect and bank your cord blood:

• there isn’t enough blood in your placenta and cord to collect
• your temperature has risen and you have an infection
• there’s a mechanical failure with the equipment used
• other medical issues

Absolutely not. Donating cord blood is risk-free.

After you’ve safely delivered your baby and placenta, we’ll come in and take your cord and placenta to a separate room to extract the blood.

Yes, you can still donate. Anthony Nolan supports NICE guidance not to have the cord clamped earlier than one minute after birth if all is well with the baby. Our collectors will work around your birth plan and provide further evidence-based information as needed to help you make an informed decision. Donating does not affect your birth plan in any way.

Yes, you can.