Cord blood is the blood found in the placenta and umbilical cord after a baby is born. Cord blood contains stem cells (similar to those found in bone marrow) and can help treat various diseases including cancers, genetic disorders and immune deficiencies.
Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to donate your cord blood. Generally, healthy individuals over the age of 17 can donate their cord blood, provided:
they only had one baby (ie did not just give birth to twins or other multiples)
there isn’t a medical reason for their placenta to be kept by their midwife (especially after a c-section)
they did not use an egg and/or sperm donor
If you want to donate cord blood, you should speak to your midwife or doctors about this. Under the EU Directive for Tissue and Cells and the subsequent Human Tissue (Quality and Safety for Human Application) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, your consent to donate cord blood must be collected before your baby’s birth (and before active labour).
You can register your wish to donate cord blood by registering on the NHS website. For more information, read the NHS guidance on donating cord blood.