What is cord blood?
Cord blood also known as umbilical cord blood is blood taken from the newborn’s umbilical cord and placenta (afterbirth) immediately following birth. Cord blood contains high concentrations of stem cells, which are the cells from which all new blood cells, the body’s immune system and other organ tissues develop.
It is the blood obtained from the umbilical cord at birth. The cord blood contains stem cells. Stem cells are the cells that make all of the other cells in your body, i.e., heart cells, neural cells, etc. These stem cells continue to reproduce throughout life unless they are destroyed by cancer or blood disease. If your stem cells are destroyed, you will die unless they are replaced by transplant.
Cord blood is the remaining blood from your baby’s umbilical cord and placenta after birth. Cord blood is loaded with our “stem cells” which are origins of the body’s immune and blood system and may be the origin of other organs and important systems in the body. Stem cells are important because they have the ability to regenerate into other types of cells in the body. Harvesting and banking cord blood is a fairly simple procedure that can be performed during vaginal or cesarean deliveries without interrupting the birth process. The doctor or nurse will collect the cord blood after the umbilical cord has been clamped. The collection of cord blood is not painful, intrusive or risky to the mother or baby. A few years ago, cord blood was simply discarded as medical waste after a birth. However in the past few years doctors have recognized that the stem cells have unique qualities which can be used in treatment of certain cancers. The most common medical use is for transplantation in many
Cord blood is the stem cell rich blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta immediately after the cord is cut and the baby is born. Stems cells found in cord blood are the building blocks of our blood and the foundation of our immune system. Although routinely discarded, cord blood provides millions the life-saving stem cells that can only be saved at birth.
