Cord Blood

Blood remaining in the umbilical cord immediately following the birth of a baby. It contains a rich concentration of stem cells which can save the life of a leukemia or other patient requiring a stem cell transplant. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are considered adult stem cells because they come from the mother's tissue.The baby is in no way harmed or affected by collection of umbilical cord blood and no embryos are involved. Umbilical cord blood is an alternative source of stem cells if bone marrow stem cells or bone marrow donors are not available.