On April 17, St. David's Georgetown Hospital became the first Williamson County hospital to be an official member of the Texas Cord Blood Bank's collection program, according to a news release.

By joining TCBB, a division of the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center, expectant mothers are able to donate their baby's umbilical cord blood at no cost and with little effort, a news release stated.

Umbilical cord blood may be used as treatment for leukemia, lymphoma, aplastic anemia and genetic disorders such as sickle cell anemia, according to information on the TCBB website.

Many of the patients who benefit from cord blood donations are children, the release stated.

"It benefits the public," said Erin Huff, supervisor of Women's Services at St. David's Georgetown. "We send the specimens to San Antonio, where it goes to a statewide and national donor bank. If we have other outside patients that could benefit from cord blood, that would be the best benefit for us."

The STBTC receives and tests cord blood for usability. If the specimen meets standards, it can be used anywhere it is needed, Huff said.

Besides public banking, parents also have the option of using the related donor program.

"If you have a child who has a condition that may require stem cells, they'll bank the new baby's cord blood for free," Huff said.

TCBB aims to have hospitals throughout the state join the program in order to collect cord blood units to reflect the ethnic diversity of the state, since immune types are specific to ethnic groups, its website stated.

"We are committed to collecting as many bankable cord blood units as possible to ensure a diverse, quality supply for families in need," TCBB Director Ray Adams said in a statement. "We thank St. David's Georgetown Hospital for providing a location in Williamson County where parents can contribute to this life-saving registry."

St. David's Georgetown is the third hospital in the Austin area to join the TCBB program. St. David's Medical Center in Austin joined in February 2012, and St. David's South Austin Medical Center joined in January 2013, the release stated.

For more information on TCBB, visit www.southtexasblood.org.