Blood Donation FAQs

What is our greatest need?

There is always a child who needs your blood type at our hospital. Type O individuals are "universal donors." As a result, there is a great need for O donors. O-Negative blood is used in emergency situations, and is especially useful for transfusions for infants. Our hospital has one of the largest and most successful Neonatal Intensive and Critical Care Units, making our hospital's needs great. Platelets, the blood component necessary for clotting, are the most used component at our hospital for children undergoing bone marrow transplant therapy or chemotherapy.

How often can I help?

You can donate blood every two months, not to exceed six times per year. You can donate platelets every two weeks, not to exceed 24 times per year.

How much of the blood used by our patients is collected from the Blood Donor Center?

Our patients need approximately 2,000 units of blood and blood components each month as part of the life-saving care provided at our hospital. To provide these units to our patients, the hospital needs to collect blood from approximately 800 blood donors per month. Nearly 90 percent of the blood transfused at Children's Hospital Los Angeles comes from our donor center. Rarely is enough blood donated to cover patient use.

How soon can I donate again?

You can donate blood every two months, not to exceed six times per year. You can donate platelets every two weeks, not to exceed 24 times per year.

What Donors Should Know About Iron and Blood Donation

CHLA Blood Donor Center encourages all whole blood and platelet donors to learn how to maintain healthy iron levels and how blood donation impacts the level of iron in your body.

What is iron?

Iron is a mineral that your body needs for many functions. Iron is essential for production of blood and is present in red blood cells inside a protein called hemoglobin.

How does blood donation affect my iron?

Iron is lost when red blood cells are removed during your blood donation. This reduces the iron stored in your body. Your body needs iron to make new red blood cells to replace the ones lost through blood donation.

Although donors at CHLA are screened for hemoglobin, this does not measure iron stores (ferritin). If you were recently told your hemoglobin was low, you may want to speak with your primary care provider regarding your ferritin level.

What is hemoglobin?

Hemoglobin is the protein in your red blood cells that contains iron and carries oxygen to the tissues in your body.

CHLA Blood Donor Center routinely checks your hemoglobin before each donation. A screening test measures the amount of hemoglobin using either a non-invasive technique or a blood sample. If your hemoglobin is too low, we will ask that you wait to donate.

What is a normal hemoglobin level?

Normal hemoglobin ranges are different for males and females. The normal range for men is 13.5 to 17.5 g/dL. For women, the normal range is 12.0 to 15.5 g/dL.

What is the minimum hemoglobin level needed for donating?

To help ensure that it is safe for you to donate, females must have a minimum hemoglobin level of 12.5 g/dL and males must have a minimum level of 13.0 g/dL.

What is iron deficiency?

Iron deficiency means that you don’t have enough iron in your body.  As iron deficiency progresses, body iron stores are depleted, and the production of hemoglobin and red blood cells is impacted. It eventually results in anemia which is a condition in which you lack enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body's tissues. However, the potential for adverse health consequences due to iron deficiency exists even before anemia occurs.

What are potential symptoms of iron deficiency?

Adverse effects or symptoms include fatigue, weakness, decreased exercise endurance, pale skin, cold hands and feet, headache, dizziness/lightheadedness, cognitive dysfunction, and pica (the desire to compulsively ingest non-food substances such as ice or clay).

Which blood donors are at risk of iron deficiency?

The following donors are at risk for developing iron deficiency and/or at increased risk for adverse effects of iron deficiency:

• Young donors
• Premenopausal female donors
• Frequent donors
• Donors with hemoglobin values near the minimum for eligibility

Who is considered a young donor? Why does it matter?

The minimum age for whole blood or platelet donation at CHLA is 17 years old. CHLA Blood Donor Center considers donors less than 23 years of age to be young donors.

Young donors are at higher risk of iron deficiency because they have a relatively higher iron loss than adult donors during donation. Iron deficiency and subsequent anemia (low hemoglobin) has been shown to have adverse consequences on developing brains. Therefore, it is important that young donors be aware of the possibility of developing iron deficiency through blood donation.

To help maintain healthy iron levels, CHLA Blood Donor Center limits young donors to 1 whole blood donation every 12 months. It is also recommended that young donors consume an iron-rich diet and consider taking an iron supplement or a multivitamin with iron. Before taking an iron supplement or multivitamin, consult with your primary care provider.

Who is considered a frequent donor? Why does it matter?

CHLA Blood Donor Center considers donors with 2 or more whole blood donations or 10 or more platelet donations in the past year to be a frequent donor. Frequent donors may require extra iron to make new blood cells, replacing the ones lost through blood donations.

To help maintain healthy iron levels, CHLA Blood Donor Center recommends that individuals who donate blood and platelets frequently consume an iron-rich diet and consider taking an iron supplement or a multivitamin with iron. Before taking an iron supplement or multivitamin, consult with your primary care provider.

How can healthy iron levels be maintained or increased?

The amount of iron that your body needs will depend on several factors including age, gender, body type, genetics – and, how often you donate blood.

All donors should eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet with foods rich in iron.  Eating/drinking foods high in Vitamin C assists with iron absorption.

Eating iron rich foods may not be enough to routinely replenish the iron lost through blood donation, especially in frequent and young donors. Consult with your primary care provider about taking iron supplements or multivitamins with iron.

What are examples of iron-rich foods?

Foods have two types of iron: heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is most easily absorbed by your body. It is found in meat and animal products such as beef, turkey (especially dark meat), chicken, lamb, pork, and liver.

Non-heme iron is not as easily absorbed by your body but is still a good source of iron and essential if you don’t eat meat. Examples of foods high in non-heme iron are breakfast cereals fortified by iron, breads and pasta (whole grain and enriched), tofu, beans, lentils, peanuts, dried fruits like raisins and eggs.

Refer to the United States Department of Agriculture full list of foods by Iron content: https://www.nal.usda.gov/sites/www.nal.usda.gov/files/iron.pdf

Do other foods increase your body’s ability to absorb iron?

Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron. Foods such as tomatoes, oranges and other citrus fruits, and bell peppers have high levels of vitamin C and should be consumed with non-heme sources of iron to assist in absorption.

In addition to having high levels of heme iron, red meats can also help the body absorb non-heme iron.

Do other foods decrease the absorption of iron?

Yes, some foods and beverages can decrease the amount of iron that your body absorbs. Some examples are coffee or tea, red wine, chocolate, high fiber foods, some medications like antiacids, and high calcium foods like milk or cheese.

This doesn’t mean that you need to remove these foods and drinks from your diet, but you should consider avoiding eating these items with your iron-rich meals or iron supplements. For example, have your coffee or tea before or after your meal instead of with your meal.

Can I get too much iron in my diet?

Most people cannot get too much iron from food they choose to eat, which is why a balanced diet is important. Consult with your primary care provider about how much iron you should consume.

Should I take iron supplements to increase my iron?

Some donors, such as young and frequent donors, may help increase or maintain their iron levels by taking an iron supplement with 18-38 mg of elemental iron or a multivitamin with 18 mg of iron.

Consult your primary care provider to discuss options and dosage prior to starting any iron supplements.

Iron supplements are available over-the-counter at a variety of retail locations including drug stores, health food stores and grocery stores. Supplements are available without a prescription. Prices and dosages will vary.

Can iron supplements have side effects or be harmful?

Iron supplements can cause side effects, which are described on the packaging. Side effects can include constipation, diarrhea, or an upset stomach. If these symptoms become bothersome, you should discuss alternative options such as a lower dosage with your primary care provider.

Taking iron can mask other health conditions that are more serious such as gastrointestinal (GI) disease. They may also be harmful to people who have an iron overload syndrome such as hereditary hemochromatosis.

You should discuss your risk factors and health history with your primary care provider before adding iron supplements to your routine.

Although iron supplements are not usually harmful to adults when taken as directed, accidental ingestion of iron by children can be fatal. You should keep all iron-containing products out of the reach of children. In case of ingestion or emergency, seek medical assistance or call a poison control center immediately.

Blood Donations at CHLA

How often should an individual donate blood?

At CHLA Blood Donor Center, 

• We limit young donors to 1 whole blood donation every 12 months.
• We recommend all other donors to limit whole blood donations to 2 times a year and platelet donations to 10 times per year.

Does CHLA Blood Donor Center check iron levels before or after blood donation?

Although donors at CHLA are screened for hemoglobin, this does not measure iron stores (ferritin). If you were recently told your hemoglobin was low, you may want to speak with your primary care provider regarding your ferritin level.

Can I donate at CHLA if I have hereditary hemochromatosis or other conditions causing too much iron?

CHLA does not currently accept blood donations from individuals who have hereditary hemochromatosis or from those who require treatment for iron overload by therapeutic phlebotomy.