Cord blood is the blood from a baby that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth. Cord blood banks store frozen cord blood until someone who is a genetic match requires a transplant.
Cord blood contains special cells called hematopoietic stem cells. Hematopoietic stem cells are immature cells that can develop into all types of blood cells, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Hematopoietic stem cells are the same type of blood-forming stem cells present in a bone marrow transplant. They may help treat over 70 types of disease.
During pregnancy, people can decide whether to he a cord blood collection after giving birth. Collecting cord blood is harmless to both the person giving birth and the newborn.
Cord blood banks freeze and store cord blood samples after collection, ready for future use. There are public and private banking options.
This article will look at the pros and cons of cord blood banking. It will also examine the differences between private and public cord blood banks, the costs, and the procedure.