What is Cord Blood?
Cord blood refers to the blood remaining in the umbilical cord after it has been cut after birth. Cord blood is extremely rich in highly unique stem cells, which can be used in many different medical treatments. Stem cells found in cord blood, as well as bone marrow, are cells that can become any type of cell in the body.
Stem cells found in cord blood are particularly unique because, when compared to adult stem cells, they are less likely to be affected by exposure to viruses, have less exposure to the aging process, and are less developed immunoligically.
Newborn infants do not have developed, mature immune systems because they have not had the exposure that adults have accumulated over time. That makes their cord blood stem cells extremely imortant because they are unaltered, and in their purest, orignal form.
Cord blood is extremely valuable and has been crucial to stem cell treatments and research. However, cord blood is often disposed of with the umbilical cord after birth. Only recently has cord blood banking, which is the collecting and storing of the infant’s cord blood, become more and more commonplace. Cord blood banking is available for private storage or public donation.
Updated: June 2011
