The Umbilical Cord Blood Donation and Collection Program in ExtremaduraWithin two or three weeks, women who give birth in public maternity hospitals in Extremadura can donate the umbilical cord blood that will be made available to the Cordon Blood Bank of Barcelona to enter the world registry of anonymous donations, Stem cells that are extracted from those voluntarily donated cords can save lives anywhere in the world.
The Minister of Health and Dependency of Extremadura hopes to get with this program about 500 donations a year. The requirements to be a donor are basic, to be of legal age at the time of giving birth, that the pregnancy has exceeded 34 weeks, that there is no family history of communicable or infectious diseases, that a tattoo has not been performed in recent four months and that the childbirth develops in an authorized maternity. This program is accompanied by a campaign in which pregnant women will be informed that donating the umbilical cord does not harm their baby or her, that the donation will be anonymous, altruistic, supportive and free, how the blood is obtained, what is can do with it, etc.
It also opens up the possibility that private hospitals in the region participate in the Umbilical Cord Blood Donation and Obtaining Program, they should only request accreditation from the Extremadura Board, but for the moment no interest has been shown.
We are glad to know this program and to make it known in the hope that the service will be extended to the entire world territory, many more lives would be saved.
