What is cord blood?

Placental/umbilical Cord Blood (UCB) is the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord following birth.

Until recently the placenta and umbilical cord were discarded after delivery as medical waste, but now research has shown that during pregnancy, cord blood becomes a rich source of the baby's own bone marrow 'stem cells', the building blocks of everything in the blood. They form the white cells that fight infection and produce immunity, the red cells that carry oxygen and platelets that promote clotting.

Stem cells from cord blood can now be collected, processed and cryogenically stored for potential, future use.