The joy of your baby’s birth could be shared with someone who has a life-threatening illness.
After a baby is born, the umbilical cord and placenta are no longer needed and are usually thrown away. However, the blood left in the umbilical cord and placenta contains blood-forming cells. (These cells are not embryonic stem cells.) By collecting and freezing this blood, the healthy blood-forming cells can be stored and may later be used by a patient who needs them.
Patients with leukemia, lymphoma, or certain inherited metabolic or immune system disorders have diseased blood-forming cells. For some patients, an umbilical cord blood or bone marrow transplant (also called a BMT) may be their best treatment option.
Learn how umbilical cord blood may be able to help a patient in need.
- The Need for More Cord Blood Donations
Find out why cord blood can be especially promising for patients of racially or ethnically diverse backgrounds and for patients needing a transplant quickly. - Options for Umbilical Cord Blood Banking and Donation
As expectant parents, learn how umbilical cord blood can help others through public donation, family (private) cord blood banking, or directed donation for a biological sibling.