Cord blood is the stem cell-rich blood that is contained in the umbilical cord. It is collected right after the baby is born. The blood cells found in the umbilical cord can be used in medical research and to improve various health conditions. For these reasons, many people choose to have their baby's cord blood collected and stored.

Benefits

Collecting and storing the cord blood gives families the ability to use the stem cells in the future if a family member becomes ill. The stem cells in umbilical cord blood are used to create healthy blood cells. In many cases, thave been proven to restore a person's immune system after treatment for a variety of cancers and blood diseases, according to the Cord Blood Registry (CBR).

Bone Marrow and Blood Disorders

Nearly 80 diseases that jeopardize the immune system and have the potential to cause death, such as bone marrow and blood disorders, have successfully been treated with transplants of cord blood cells according to Cord Blood Registry.

Cancers

Like bone marrow, cord blood is rich in the blood-forming cells that have been applied to the treatment of cancers, such as the numerous forms of acute and chronic leukemia, lymphoma, and many other life-threatening diseases. A 2006 New England Journal of Medicine article reported that adults who suffered from cancer had benefited from cord blood stem cells.

Track Record

Scientists began using cord blood cells to treat diseases in 1988. Nearly 80 diseases have been treated with cord blood stem cells in transplant medicine, and the use of these stem cells in regenerative medicine is growing rapidly, according to Cord Blood Registry. For example, CBR reports that their collaboration with Duke University and the University of Texas in studying the use of cord blood stem cells in treating brain injuries and disorders such as cerebral palsy are showing the potential for these cells to be used to restore damaged cells in the brain.

Donors and Recipients

The American Cancer Society reports that children and smaller adults who have been unable to find donor matches among donor registries have a higher chance of being able to use cells from cord blood because the match does not have to be exact. The blood transplants are also better in that they pose less threat of the recipient's immune system rejecting the transplant.

Considerations

It is important for families to learn about cord blood banking early in the pregnancy since there is only a 15-minute window for collecting the cord blood after the birth of the baby.

Source:

Cord Blood Registry

American Cancer Society