CMC Participating in Placenta Donation Program
New mothers have the opportunity to support the health of others through their life-changing gift
The birth of a baby brings joy to the parents who have eagerly awaited the arrival. That birth is also anticipated by people who likely will never meet the family but who will benefit from their decision to participate in a unique donation opportunity.
Starting in July, new mothers at The Birthplace at Conway Medical Center will be able to make an impact on patients all over the nation through the hospital’s new partnership with TriForLife Birth Tissue Recovery Group which facilitates placenta donations. Birth tissue donation is a type of living donation that does not impact the health of the mother or the newborn and is recognized as the single largest driver of the overall growth in living tissue donations by the American Association of Tissue Banks.
The program gives expectant mothers the option of donating their placenta, umbilical cord, and amniotic membranes when they give birth. Details about the opportunity and its benefit to others will be shared with pregnant women during prenatal visits with their obstetrician. Women who decide to participate will sign a pre-consent form which will be validated at the time of their baby’s delivery. The program is optional and costs nothing for the patient.
Often regarded as medical waste, birth tissue can be processed and used to stimulate healing in a variety of reconstructive procedures, including the healing of chronic wounds and burns, spinal procedures, and corneal eye repair. Beyond these uses, birth tissue supports the development of new treatments for such diseases as cancer through scientific research.
The benefits of birth tissue to fetal development are widely known. Birth tissue helps to nourish the baby in utero throughout the mother’s pregnancy and is typically discarded after the child’s birth. The placenta, commonly referred to as the afterbirth, is a disc of tissue that connects a mother’s uterus to the umbilical cord and delivers nutrients, oxygen, and protective antibodies to the unborn baby. This donation program gives mothers the opportunity to share these life-giving tissues with others once they have served the purpose of their baby’s development in the womb.
Sharaid Norman, RN, Clinical Coordinator at CMC’s The BirthPlace which delivers more than 1,600 babies annually, “We believe the birth tissue donation program is one more way healthy mothers and babies can support the health and well-being of others.”
As part of the TriForLife program at Conway Medical Center, a Birth Tissue Recovery Technician will provide donation information, answer questions, document the process, preserve the tissue, and arrange for the hospital to draw a sample of the donor’s blood. The blood sample is tested to ensure that there are no communicable disease agents present in the birth mother’s blood that could be transmitted to a recipient of the tissue. That information will be shared with the medical staff for follow-up as appropriate. In all instances, the mother is thanked for her willingness to participate in the program.
According to TriForLife President, Russell Adams, virtually every branch of medicine can benefit from birth tissue, and researchers continue to discover new uses. “The miraculous properties in birth tissue can promote the body’s own healing process, reduce the amount of pain and suffering a patient may experience, speed patient recovery, and offer fewer negative side effects, such as swelling and scarring. In this way, life gives life to others.” As an example, Adams noted that at least one ophthalmology center in the Conway area receives products acquired by TriForLife to benefit patients receiving eye care.
Annually, TriForLife also will make a financial gift to the Conway Medical Center Foundation to support the maternal-child health experience as a way to recognize the significance of the tissue donation program.
