Beaumont supports personal collection and ultimate storage of umbilical cord blood. This blood may be used at a future date to help treat individuals afflicted with cancers of the blood and other diseases.
These are the following options:
1. Collect umbilical cord blood for storage at a private cord blood bank for potential future personal use. If a birth parent chooses to have their baby’s cord blood collected, the health care team will do so after the baby
is delivered. There are several personal cord blood banking companies. Private banks such as Viacord (866-668-4895), Cryo-cell (800-786-7235), and Cord blood (800-786-7235) should be contacted in advance of an anticipated delivery date to complete the enrollment
process. An initial collection fee and annual storage fee is typically involved with the collection of cord blood for private use. This option is available at all Beaumont Health Hospitals.
2. Donate umbilical cord
blood for public listing on the National Marrow Donor Program registry is currently not available through a Beaumont Health Hospital.
3. Discard umbilical cord blood as medical waste is the default at Beaumont
Health Hospitals.
If you are interested in Option 1, please speak with your physician as early in your pregnancy as possible and notify the staff on Labor and Delivery upon your arrival.