Recently, scientists discovered that the blood from the newborn's placenta and umbilical cord, which routinely has been discarded, contains a great number of these same valuable stem cells, which are a guaranteed match for the newborn.
Stem cells are the building blocks of our blood and immune systems.
They form the white cells that fight infection, red cells that carry oxygen throughout the body and platelets that promote healing. Stem cells are found in our bone marrow where they continue to generate cells throughout our lives. Scientists have now discovered that the blood remaining in a baby's umbilical cord, which is typically discarded at birth, is a rich source of stem cells. Cryopreserving your newborn's umbilical cord blood stem cells could provide a potential medical benefit. The decision to store your baby's U-Cord stem cells will afford your child the opportunity to take advantage of the rapidly evolving medical technology associated with stem cell therapies.