What is Cord Blood?
After a baby’s delivery, the umbilical cord and placenta are no longer needed and most often discarded as medical waste. The blood remaining in the umbilical cord and placenta are rich with blood-forming cells called stem cells.
Stem cells make up the three types of blood cells we need to survive.
- Red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body
- Platelets to prevent bleeding
- White blood cells to form our immune system and guard against infection
What makes Umbilical Cord Blood Different from Bone Marrow? Both are sources of stem cells that can be used to replace those which are damaged or destroyed in aggressive treatment for cancer and other diseases.
Bone Marrow transplant is a risky and complex procedure which involves:
- Risk of rejection
- Discomfort for the donor
- Time
Bone marrow transplantation is still a viable method of transplanting stem cells and it has been very successful.
