Cord Blood

Cord blood is easily defined as blood retrieved from the umbilical cord after the birth of the child. The cord blood contains stem cells which are considered the building blocks of blood and immune systems in the body. Stem cells can also be found in the bone marrow and blood that circulates within the body. However, cord blood is the most desirable because they are the youngest and have not endured much aging or damage. If a person's blood stem cells become damaged due to diseases, cancer, or leukemia, the only hope for a cure is a blood stem cell transplant. This replaces the patient's diseased cells with healthy new stem cells. The cells that will be transplanted in must match the patient's cells to reduce the risk of Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD).