Cord Blood Information
New parents hear a lot about the benefits of saving or donating their babies' cord blood. The cord blood is collected at the time of birth, and can later be used as treatment for a variety of diseases.-
Cord Blood
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Cord blood is the blood left in a cut umbilical cord and placenta. While cord blood contains all the normal elements of blood, such as red and white blood cells, platelets, and plasma, it also contains hematopoietic, or blood forming, stem cells similar to those found in bone marrow. For this reason, cord blood is a transplantation alternative to bone marrow.
Uses for Cord Blood
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According to the National Cord Blood Program, "cord blood has been used in the treatment of more than 80 different diseases so far." The most common disease treated with cord blood is leukemia, followed by inherited diseases of red blood cells, immune systems, and those causing metabolic abnormalities.
Storage of Cord Blood
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When cord blood is donated, it is stored by being placed in a quarantine over-wrap and metal canister, then frozen in liquid nitrogen. The earliest samples of cord blood stored by the National Cord Blood Program were stored in 1993. As of 2010, tests showed absolutely no deterioration of the quality of the cord blood cells. Also as of 2010, cord blood units stored up to 13 years have been used in patients with similar results as patients who received transplants from newly collected cord blood.
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