Infirmary Health, LifeSouth celebrate July as Cord Blood Awareness Month

Around the U.S., umbilical cord blood with its potential value in treating disease — and the hematopoietic stem cells it contains — continues to be discarded as medical waste. To promote saving and storing cord blood and illustrate its potentially life-saving properties, the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ National Health Information Center has designated July as National Cord Blood Awareness Month.

Infirmary Health frequently partners with LifeSouth to assist in their mission to provide a safe blood supply that meets or exceeds the needs in each community served and to provide various services in support of ongoing and emerging blood and transfusion-related activities. Infirmary Health hospitals, clinics and facilities frequently host blood drives and provide blood donor education. 

LifeSouth also provides a public Cord Blood Banking Program. Here are some facts and answers to frequently asked questions:

Public Cord Blood Banking Program
LifeSouth Cord Blood Bank is a community-based public cord blood bank that collects and stores umbilical cord blood for the purpose of clinical cures and research in the field of stem cell transplantation. LifeSouth received FDA licensure for cord blood manufacturing in June 2013, becoming the fifth cord blood bank nationwide licensed by the FDA.

Why collect cord blood?
LifeSouth is a nonprofit entity whose mission is to provide hematopoietic stem cells from umbilical cord blood collections that meet or exceed industry standards for clinical transplantation worldwide. Cord blood is an accepted, recognized and federally regulated form of cellular therapy. More than 80 blood cancers, inherited genetic diseases, bone marrow failure and immune diseases are treatable with cord blood. In addition to clinical use, cord blood has ongoing research for other life-threatening diseases for stem cell transplantation use.

Additional Quick Facts:

• No cost to donor mothers and expecting families.
• Donations are volunteer basis.
• LifeSouth Cord Blood Bank incurs the cost of collecting, testing, processing and storing the cord blood.

For more information, visit LifeSouth.org.