What is cord blood?
Cord blood, which is also called “placental blood,” is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta following birth and after the cord is cut. Cord blood is routinely discarded with the placenta and umbilical cord. Your baby’s umbilical cord blood is a valuable source of stem cells, which are genetically unique to your baby and family.
Cord blood, also referred to as umbilical cord blood or placental blood, is blood that flows in the circulation of and provides sustenance to the developing fetus in the mother’s womb. After the baby’s birth, the residual blood in the umbilical cord and placenta (afterbirth) is often thrown away as biologic waste. This needlessly discarded, life-saving resource of untapped umbilical cord blood is a rich and convenient supply of stem cells.
When a cancer patient is searching for bone marrow, it is the stem cells contained within that are the key to treatment. Stem cells are the building blocks of red and white blood cells, and the foundation of the human immune system. But finding a bone marrow match is a difficult process, and, in the U.S., nearly half of the patients searching will die before they do. Now, new research shows that umbilical cord blood contains the same type of stem cells as bone marrow. The largest Cord Blood Bank is in NY, NY,you can see it at: CORD BLOOD PAGE For additional information, call the NY blood Center: 800-NY-BLOOOD or 212-570-3210. For more information, see : The International Cord Blood Foundation : INTERNATIONAL CORD BLOOD FOUNDATION see also: BMT Find a match? – when a Doctor declare search at NMDP – it should go automatically also to search in Cord Blood Registry.
Cord blood, or umbilical cord blood, is blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta at the time of birth. This blood has typically been discarded following delivery; however, medical science has demonstrated that cord blood is a rich source of stem cells, which can be collected, processed and cryogenically preserved for potential, future use.
