What is the deadline to register for cord blood donation and why is there a deadline?

There is no medical reason why parents should have to register for cord blood donation weeks in advance. Given adequate staffing and efficient management, a public cord blood bank could check the mother's health history and offer the family Informed Consent when they arrive at the hospital to give birth. Examples of public cord blood banks in the Untied States that accept walk-in donations are the NY Blood Center and the Cleveland Cord Blood Center.

However, most public cord blood banks in the United States do not have enough dedicated staff to handle donation requests, so in order to process them they require that mothers register weeks ahead of their due date. About five years ago the registration deadline was at 36 weeks, but as of 2016 the deadline is 34 weeks gestation.