THE BASICS OF CORD BLOOD
Cord blood is the blood collected from the umbilical cord and placenta immediately following a child’s birth. This blood provides nourishment and oxygen to the baby during pregnancy, but once the baby is delivered, neither the umbilical cord (which carries the blood) nor the cord blood is needed by the child.
Umbilical cord blood is rich in Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs), which are currently the most therapeutically valuable stem cells. HSC’s can replace bone marrow by differentiating into cells that can produce red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. These new cells produce the cellular ingredients necessary for the blood and the immune system and can rapidly create new blood for a patient. HSCs are currently being used to treat over 80 different blood, immune, and bone diseases 1.
In addition, new cord blood transplant treatments are being actively researched and implemented worldwide. Thus, it is becoming increasingly likely that cord blood banking will provid protection for your family.
Learn more about cord blood treatments and clinical trials.
A 100% Genetic Match
Your baby is a 100% genetic match to his/her cord blood stem cells 2.
We always recommend families save each baby’s cord blood to ensure they have a complete genetic match. There is a 25% chance a sibling could be a full match, a 50% chance a sibling will be a partial match, and a 25% chance a sibling won’t match at all. Biological parents will always be a partial match.
It is especially important for families of mixed ethnicities to consider storing their baby’s cord blood, as studies show that it’s more difficult for people of mixed ethnicities to find a stem cell match in a public bank 6.
Storing your baby’s cord blood ensures they will have HSC’s that are a 100% match to them.
Storing Both Cord Blood and Cord Tissue Creates More Treatment Options
By storing both your baby’s cord blood (which is rich in Hematopoietic Stem Cells or HSCs) and cord tissue (which contains Mesenchymal Stem Cells or MSCs), you’re storing two types of stems cells that are a 100% match to your baby – one with the current potential, and one with the future potential, to treat a wide range of injuries or diseases.
- Acute Leukemia
- Chronic Leukemia
- Myelodysplastic Syndromes (Sometimes called Pre-Leukemia)
- Inherited Red Cell (Erythrocyte) Abnormalities
- Inherited Platelet Abnormalities
- Inherited Immune System Disorders: Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID)
- Inherited Immune System Disorders: Neutropenias
- Lymphoproliferative Disorders
- Myeloproliferative Disorders
- Phagocyte Disorders
- Bone Marrow Cancers