FORT BRAGG, North Carolina (June 2, 2015) -- When your children outgrow their cribs, you generally don't throw them in trash. You give them to someone you know or donate them to a charity organization.
If you give birth at Womack Army Medical Center, you have the opportunity to donate something else that your child has outgrown and doesn't need anymore -- cord blood.
The cord blood donation program provides pregnant mothers the ability to donate a cord blood, something previously viewed as medical waste, and potentially save someone's life. The program is a partnership between WAMC and the Carolinas Cord Blood Bank at Duke Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, which was formed in 2009.
"We're the first military hospital to offer cord blood donation and it available because of this collaborative effort with Carolinas Cord Blood Bank," said Dr. Cristobal S. Berry-Caban, Clinical Researcher and Epidemiologist, WAMC. "The ethnic diversity of our patients and the over 3,000 births here annually made us a great fit for the program."
The diversity of Fort Bragg's military population helps patients who typically have difficulty finding a suitable matched donor. According to Be the Match's website, 29 percent of cord blood transplants in 2014 were for minority patients.
"The Carolinas Cord Blood Bank is exceptionally proud to have Womack Army Medical Center as a partner," said Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, Duke University Medical Center. "Participation of a military hospital allows mothers of diverse racial and ethnic ancestries to donate their baby's cord blood."
Cord blood is blood collected from the umbilical cord and placenta after a baby is born. It is rich in blood forming cells that can be used in transplants to save the lives of patients with leukemia, lymphoma and other diseases.
Donation is easy, safe and non-invasive for both the mother and the baby. No blood is taken from the baby and labor and delivery is not affected.
It's completely voluntary and provided at no cost to the patient or their insurance. Mothers wishing to donate cord blood will sign a consent form prior to labor.
"The moms at Womack Army Medical Center have shown tremendous volunteerism and support for the program," said Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, Duke University Medical Center. "Their donations have increased the number of cord blood units in the national cord blood inventory which are listed on the 'Be the Match' donor registry."
Berry-Caban credits the collection program's success to the moms who choose to donate such a valuable gift of life and the dedication of the staff who support it.
"We have a very successful program," said Berry-Caban. "We see about 75 cord blood donations a month and about 15 of those ends up meeting the full criteria."
For more information about cord blood donation and transplantation, visit the National Marrow Donor website at www.bethematch.org/cord.
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