Give Life
Beyond Birth
By donating your placenta & cord blood to Americord, you're helping to propel groundbreaking medical research, offering hope and healing to others.
Placenta & Cord Blood Donation
Placenta and cord blood donation represent compassionate choices that transform what would typically be discarded as medical waste into invaluable resources for medical advancement. While placenta donation aids in furthering regenerative medicine and stem cell research by harnessing the unique properties of the placenta, cord blood donation offers a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells that are crucial for treating a variety of blood and immune disorders. Together, these donations play a vital role in the development of novel treatments and therapies, enabling scientists to explore groundbreaking approaches to heal and save lives. By choosing to donate, you contribute to a legacy of health and hope for future generations.
How Donation Works
The Donation Journey: Simple Steps, Profound Impact
Step 1: Complete Donation Request Form
Complete our Placenta Donation Form to indicate your intended birth hospital. If this is a partner hospital, we will visit you in the hospital after the birth to confirm your choice and eligibility and handle everything in person.
Step 2: Securing Your Collection
If you are not at a participating hospital, Americord will determine your eligibility online or by phone and mail you a collection kit to bring with you to the hospital when you have your baby.
Step 3: Ensuring Safe Delivery to Our Lab
At the time of birth, your placenta and/or cord blood is safely stored in a collection container and securely transported to Americord’s lab.
Everything You Need to Know About Donating Your Placenta and/or Cord Blood with Americord:
Placenta donation involves donating the placenta after childbirth, which is then used for medical research, education, or in the development of new treatments. This donation supports advancements in medical science, particularly in areas such as regenerative medicine and stem cell research.
Cord blood donation involves donating your baby's umbilical cord blood shortly after birth. This blood is rich in hematopoietic stem cells, which can be used in the treatment of over 80 different diseases, including leukemia, lymphoma, and anemia.
Generally, most mothers who undergo a healthy delivery (both C-section and vaginal births) can donate their placenta. However, eligibility may depend on specific medical and health criteria to ensure the safety and quality of the donation.
Most parents with a healthy pregnancy and delivery (both C-section and vaginal) are eligible to donate cord blood. Eligibility primarily depends on health screening and guidelines established to protect both the donor and recipient, ensuring the cord blood is safe for transplantation.
Yes, both donation processes are designed to be completely safe for the mother and the baby. These procedures do not interfere with the birthing process and are conducted by medical professionals following strict health and safety standards.
Donated placentas contribute to various fields of medical research, including but not limited to, stem cell studies, regenerative medicine, and the development of new treatments for diseases. They can also be used in educational settings to train medical professionals.
Donated cord blood is primarily used in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to treat a variety of genetic, hematological, immunological, and oncological disorders. It is also used in medical research to develop new therapies.
No, there is no associated cost for participating in Americord's Placenta Donation program. We cover all expenses, including shipping and the cost of the donation kit, to make the process as seamless and burden-free for you as possible.
No, there is no associated cost for participating in Americord's Cord Blood Donation program. We cover all expenses, including shipping and the cost of the donation kit, to make the process as seamless and burden-free for you as possible.
If you're ready to get the process started to donate your placenta and/or cord blood with Americord, simply click this link and complete the form. From there we will send you the necessary agreements to release your placenta and cord blood to Americord.
After donation, the placenta is carefully transported to a facility where it is processed and preserved according to the intended use, such as research or medical treatments, ensuring that it meets all required safety and quality standards.
After donation, the cord blood is transported to Americord's lab where it is processed and will later be cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen tanks. This ensures it remains viable for potential future use in transplants or medical research.
No, neither placenta nor cord blood donation interferes with your birth plan. Both processes are conducted safely after the birth of your baby and do not affect the birthing process or your experience.
Placenta donation provides researchers with valuable biological materials that are essential for studying the fundamental aspects of human biology, disease mechanisms, and the development of innovative treatments and therapies.
Cord blood is valuable for medical research because it is a non-invasive source of stem cells, which are crucial for studying the development and treatment of various diseases. Research with cord blood has led to advances in regenerative medicine, including potential treatments for conditions that currently have no cure.
Yes, you can bank your baby’s cord blood even if you decide to donate the placenta. The collection kit we provide includes the necessary containers for both placenta donation and cord blood banking. However, it is important to complete the documentation included in the kit to indicate your choice to bank the cord blood. Please be aware that there is an associated cost for the processing and storage of cord blood. This cost covers the meticulous care and technology required to preserve your baby’s cord blood for future potential medical use. For detailed information on the plans and pricing we offer for Cord Blood Banking, please visit this page.