Cord blood donation involves collecting the remaining blood from your baby’s umbilical cord after birth. This blood is rich in hematopoietic stem cells, which can develop into various types of blood and immune cells. These cells are currently used in the treatment of over 80 conditions, including certain cancers, blood disorders, and immune deficiencies.

Rather than discarding the cord blood as medical waste, donation allows it to be preserved for potential clinical use or medical research, helping to advance treatments and support patients in need. The collection process is safe, painless, and takes place after your baby is delivered.

Placenta donation involves donating the placenta after childbirth in the development of FDA-approved therapeutic products. This donation supports treatments in the fields of:

•Wound Care
•Ophthalmology
•Dermatology
•Plastic Surgery
•Dental
•Orthopedics

Most healthy, expectant parents are eligible to donate their baby’s cord blood and placental tissue. To ensure the safety and viability of the donation, you’ll be asked to complete a brief medical history and eligibility screening. Certain conditions—such as infections during pregnancy, cancer, or autoimmune disorders—may affect eligibility.

Donations are typically accepted from full-term births (after 35 weeks gestation), and deliveries must take place at participating hospitals.

Yes—donating your baby’s cord blood and placenta is completely safe for both the mother and the baby. The collection takes place after birth and does not interfere with your delivery or bonding time. All procedures are performed by trained medical professionals following strict health and safety standards to ensure the process is smooth, sterile, and seamless.

Donated cord blood and placental tissue play a vital role in advancing patient care and medical research. Cord blood contains hematopoietic stem cells used in life-saving treatments for blood cancers, immune disorders, and more. Placental tissue is rich in growth factors and bioactive molecules used in regenerative therapies—especially for wound healing, tissue repair, and inflammation reduction.

By donating, you’re helping unlock powerful tools that support healing today and open the door to tomorrow’s medical breakthroughs.

No—donation is completely free to you. Americord covers all costs related to the cord blood and placental tissue donation process, including the collection kit, shipping, and coordination. Our goal is to make donation as easy and stress-free as possible.

Currently, our donation program is available at select hospitals, with planned expansion into more locations across New York, New Jersey, and additional states. Give us a call at 866-503-6005 to learn if your hospital is part of our donor network.

Signing up to donate is easy. When you arrive at the hospital for your baby’s birth, simply let your delivery team know you’d like to donate your cord blood and/or placenta. They’ll connect you with your Americord Donation Coordinator, who will guide you through the next steps and ensure everything is handled smoothly—without disrupting your birth experience.

After donation, your baby’s cord blood and placental tissue are carefully transported to a secure processing facility. There, they are handled by trained professionals and processed under strict safety and quality standards.

Cord blood may be stored for future therapeutic use or made available for research into life-saving treatments. Placental tissue is typically preserved for use in wound healing, tissue regeneration, and other applications in regenerative medicine.

Your donation helps turn what would have been medical waste into something that can truly make a difference in the lives of others.

Not at all. The donation process is designed to be completely safe and non-disruptive. Collection happens after your baby is born, and your care team will ensure that it doesn’t interfere with your birth plan, delayed cord clamping, or bonding time.

Everything is handled by trained professionals following strict medical guidelines—so you can focus on your baby while still giving the gift of healing to others.

Yes, you can bank your baby’s cord blood even if you decide to donate the placenta. Please be aware that if you would like to bank your baby's cord blood, you will need to purchase this service, and we will need to ship you a cord blood banking kit. The cost covers the meticulous care and technology required to process and store 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.