Welcome to Umbilical Cord Blood Banking
Cord Blood Banking
Cord blood banking involves collecting and banking stem cells from a baby's umbilical cord and/or placenta when it is born. The cells are then transported, frozen, and stored for 20 to 25 years by a company specialising in cord blood banking. In later years the cells can be used to treat a number of illnesses of conditions that the child may have.
Conditions that may be able to be treated in this way include:
- Anaemia
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Leukaemia
- Osteoporosis
- Strokes
The stem cells that are obtained during the process of cord blood banking have the ability to grow into adult tissue. Stem cells provide the foundation for every tissue, organ, and cell in the human body and are able to replace or repair damaged tissue.
The main types of stem cells are embryonic stem cells (unlimited) and adult stem cells (limited). The umbilical cord and placenta are a source of a couple of types of adult stem cells.
Cord blood banking is also known as stem cell harvesting.