Cord blood is not blood that comes from the mother, it is blood that comes from the baby,  therefore it is blood in it's most basic form untainted by many of life's pollutants. In fact, it is full of stem cells, the cells that are the basic building block of every part of our body.

Medical research has trialled stem cell treatment on individuals with spinal cord damage, various childhood cancers such as leukemia, and the treatment of diabetes. Medical science believes that at some stage in the future they will be able to grow replacement organs like a liver or heart. The stem cells used in this research are those taken from a new born baby through umbilical cord - hence the name umbilical cord stem cells.

Thel method used to collect umbilical cord blood is not an invasive process. After delivery of a newborn, the umbilical cord is removed and along with the placenta and normally disposed of as hospital waste. Instead of throwing the umbilical cord and the umbilical cord blood out, the umbilical cord blood is removed using a syringe. This blood is then sent away where the stem cells are removed and banked until required - this is where the term stem cell banking comes from.

New parents  can 'donate' their baby's cord blood to a central cord blood registry. The most common use for stem cells at present is in the treatment of juvenile leukemia where it has a high success rate - your baby's cord blood  may well save the life of someone elses child.

You can also have the cord blood stem cells 'banked' for possible future use by your own family, and in particular, your own baby. There is nothing purer than the baby's own cord blood stem cells if he or she should become seriously ill. Collection will cost around $2,000-$3,000 with an annual fee of between $100-$200. If your child should ever become ill, this could be small price to pay to save their life.

The possibility that stem cells could repair spinal problems and restore movement to para/quadriplegics has many excited and led to an increase in research. There are at least 70 diseases that can be treated using  stem cells, however a lack of available stem cells has prevented comprehensive research. Only 2% of parents donate their baby's umbilical cord blood, image if every baby's cord blood was collected?

If you are a parent that is due to deliver a new born soon, you can help increase in the amount of cord blood collected by donating your baby's cord blood. Ask your midwife to determine if they collect cord blood.  If friends or relatives are pregnant, get them to inquire about the process.

The umbilical cord - it provides life for your baby - but who would have thought the stem cells found in cord blood could do so much?