The Collection and Storage of Umbilical Cord Blood for Transplantation

🩺 Protocol Summary

The goal of this study is to collect blood samples from the umbilical cords of newborn babies, as soon as they are delivered, and to place these samples in the MD Anderson Cord Blood Bank. Your sample may be included in the National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI) which is part of the CW Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program. The NCBI is a federally-supported program to assist in the collection of cord blood. Cord blood will be made available to patients through The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). These samples may then be offered to MD Anderson and other institutions for patients who need a bone marrow transplant and do not have a donor. The MD Anderson Cord Blood Bank will have the rights to release cord blood units to these institutions around the world according to established bone marrow transplant donor criteria, for a fee to cover costs. Cord blood samples that are collected and then do not meet the clinical requirements for patient use may also be used at MD Anderson or other institutions either for research or for quality purposes to improve cord blood banking procedures. If not suitable for patient use or for research purposes, the cord blood unit may be thrown away.

Primary Research Facility: MD Anderson Cord Blood Bank Collection Sites (Houston, Texas)

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📍 Primary Site Map

Site: MD Anderson Cord Blood Bank Collection Sites — Houston, Texas

💰 Clinical Trial Costs & Insurance Coverage

Coverage for clinical trial participation varies depending on your health insurance policy, state legislation, and whether specific procedures are investigational research or routine medical care. Under federal law (Affordable Care Act § 2709), health insurers generally cannot drop coverage or refuse to pay for routine patient care costs incurred in approved clinical trials.

💡 Always ask the study coordinator for the trial's official Informed Consent Form, which outlines all sponsor-funded research items versus procedures billed to your insurance.