What is cord blood banking? Should parents store their child's cord blood stem cells? What does it cost? How do you donate? This article series has the answers.

Hematopoietic adult stem cells have been used in transplants for decades. There is ongoing controversy surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells. However stem cells can also be easily collected and stored from umbilical cord blood.

What Is Cord Blood Banking?

Umbilical cord blood is human blood that can be obtained from the placenta and umbilical cord shortly after birth. Cord blood banking is a procedure in which this blood is collected, processed, frozen, and stored for future medical use.

Cord Blood and Stem Cells

Cord blood is of medical importance because it contains blood-forming (hematopoietic) stem cells. These primitive, undeveloped cells have the remarkable ability to continuously divide and develop into many different cell types, and in doing so, can potentially act as a repair system for the body.

Questions Surrounding Cord Blood Banking

Cord blood banking is not cheap. Who should be saving their child’s umbilical cord blood? When does the likelihood of need justify the expense? Are cord blood banks largely preying on the fears parents have about the potential for future health issues of their children? This collection of articles addresses these questions and more.

Quick Links to Stem Cell and Cord Blood Articles

Types of Human Stem Cells: Embryonic, Umbilical Cord Blood & Adult Hematopoietic

These special somatic cells are primitive, undeveloped research darlings that have the remarkable potential to differentiate into many different cell types.

Umbilical Cord Blood Banking: Collection and Storage of Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Currently, more than 200,000 units of cord blood are stored by public and private cord blood banks. Read on to find out why it is saved and how to donate.

Collection of Umbilical Cord Blood: Public & Private Banking of Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Stem cells can be extracted from your baby's umbilical cord blood and stored for future medical need. Find out how cord blood is collected and banked.

Umbilical Cord Blood Storage: Information on How to Store and Bank Stem Cells

How are stem cells stored? How can you donate your baby's cord blood to a public bank? What happens when the cells are needed for transplant? Here are the answers.

Private or Public Cord Blood Bank: Storage of Stem Cells for Research or Future Transplant

Parents have the option of storing their newborn's cord blood at a private cord blood bank or donating it to a public bank. Here's information on both options.

More Information

See the biology education website Science Prof Online for more genetics information, or learn more about stem cells on the Stem Cell Information page of the National Institutes of Health. If you are interested in donating your baby’s cord blood, see the website of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) for additional details.