Discusses the use of umbilical cord blood stem cells to treat diseases as an alternative to bone marrow transplants and why donating stem cells from the placenta and umbilical cord to cord blood banks is an important and safe decision that does not harm the mother or baby.

1. Umbilical Cord
Banks|Blood
Stem Cells
What is umbilical cord blood
and what is it used for?
http://banksblood.com

2. Umbilical Cord
Banks|Blood
Stem Cells
Cord blood, also called placental blood or umbilical
cord blood, is the leftover blood that is in the
placenta and the section of the umbilical cord that
remains attached to the placenta after the cord to
the baby has been cut.
http://banksblood.com

3. Umbilical Cord
Banks|Blood
Stem Cells
Cord blood contains red blood cells, white
blood cells, platelets and plasma, just like
normal blood. But cord blood also has lots of
hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells
that are similar to the ones found in bone
marrow.
http://banksblood.com

4. Umbilical Cord
Banks|Blood
Stem Cells
This is why cord blood is now being used on
an experimental basis as an alternative to
bone marrow transplants for patients with
blood and immune system diseases and
genetic or metabolic diseases.
http://banksblood.com

5. Umbilical Cord
Banks|Blood
Stem Cells
The most common diseases that have been
treated so far are leukemia and inherited
diseases such as those that affect red blood
cells, the immune system and certain
metabolic abnormalities.
http://banksblood.com

6. Umbilical Cord
Banks|Blood
Stem Cells
And patients with lymphoma, myelodysplasia
and severe aplastic anemia have also been
successfully transplanted with cord blood.
http://banksblood.com

7. Umbilical Cord
Banks|Blood
Stem Cells
In fact, more than 80 different diseases have
been treated with cord blood transplants so
far. And scientists are now actively
investigating the possibility that stem cells in
cord blood may even be able to replace cells
of other tissues such as nerve or heart cells.
http://banksblood.com

8. Umbilical Cord
Banks|Blood
Stem Cells
For more information about how cord blood
is being used to treat diseases and how to
donate cord blood, please visit
http://banksblood.com
http://banksblood.com