About Cord Blood Banking Overview

Umbilical Cord Blood Banking Cord blood banking is the process of collecting the blood from a newborn's umbilical cord immediately after delivery and cryogenically storing it for future potential medical uses. Cord blood, which is rich in stem cells, is usually discarded along with the umbilical cord and the placenta after birth.

Collections can take place after vaginal or cesarean births and caregivers do not alter routine delivery procedures to collect cord blood. Because the collection occurs after the cord has been clamped and cut, there is no risk or pain to the infant or mother.

Thousands of families are banking their newborns' cord blood because it contains stem cells that are unique to the newborn, and genetically related to their families. Cord blood banking enables parents to preserve these precious stem cells for their own potential use for the many developing applications of stem cell technologies, such as its use in treating heart disease and diabetes. It also serves as a type of safeguard in case of future need for treatment of the dozens of cancers and blood disorders that are already being treated with cord blood stem cells.

Banking cord blood does not guarantee that the cells will provide a cure or be applicable for every situation. For inherited genetic conditions, the child will not be able to use his or her own stem cells. A matched sibling's stem cells would be the first choice. Ultimate use will be determined by the treating physician. Treatment for brain injury and juvenile diabetes is experimental and currently requires the use of your own cord blood. Medical treatments using family banked cord tissue are in early research and are not available today; there is no guarantee that therapies will be developed in the future.

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