Here are the most common question and answers on Cord Blood.

What is the cord blood used for?

Is cord blood mother or baby?

Why is umbilical cord blood so valuable?

Should I save cord blood of my baby?

What is the cord blood used for?

Cord blood contains cells called hematopoietic stem cells. These cells can turn into any kind of blood cell and can be used for transplants that can cure diseases such as blood disorders, immune deficiencies, metabolic diseases, and some kinds of cancers. Research is revealing more and more ways it can save lives.

Is cord blood mother or baby?

Cord blood refers to a sample of blood collected from the umbilical cord when a baby is born. The umbilical cord is the cord connecting the baby to the mother's womb. Cord blood testing can be done to evaluate a newborn's health.

Why is umbilical cord blood so valuable?

The benefits of cord blood

Cord blood is an important alternative to bone marrow for transplantation because it contains all the natural elements of blood and is rich in blood-forming stem cells, which are similar to those found in bone marrow but do not require as close a match between the donor and recipient.

Should I save cord blood of my baby?

Doctors do not recommend that you bank cord blood on the slight chance that your baby will need stem cells someday. If your baby were to need stem cells, he or she would probably need stem cells from someone else rather than his or her own stem cells.