What is Birth Tissue?
Birth tissue, including the placenta and umbilical cord, plays a vital role in nourishing your baby during pregnancy. After childbirth, these tissues, which are usually discarded, can instead be donated for transplantation, research, and education.
As a type of living donation, birth tissue donation poses no risk to your health or your baby’s health
How is Donated Birth Tissue Used?
The placenta is rich in cells and tissues that can stimulate the body's natural healing processes, helping to reduce pain, inflammation, and scar formation. Donated birth tissue is used in many medical fields, including:
- Wound Care: Used as coverings for burns and wounds, including diabetic ulcers and difficult-to-heal wounds.
- Sports Medicine: Supports tissue repair and recovery.
- Ophthalmology: Helps treat eye injuries and conditions.
- Spine and Dental Procedures: Facilitates healing and recovery.
Impact on Patients
Birth tissue donations benefit a wide variety of patients, including:
- Wounded military personnel.
- Individuals with hard-to-heal wounds.
- Patients requiring advanced medical treatments.
Donated birth tissue plays a crucial role in advancing medical research and discovering new treatments for a variety of conditions.