Lifebank USA (Cedar Knolls) • SafetyCord (Montvale)
NJ Donation Hospitals
Source: Parents’ Guide To Cord Blood.org
The term “cord blood” is used to describe the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and the placenta after the birth of a baby. Up until recently this blood was discarded as medical waste. Cord blood contains stem cells that may be cryopreserved for later use in medical therapies, such as stem cell transplantation or new emerging therapies.
The stem cells in cord blood are NOT “embryonic.”
Since the first cord blood transplant in 1988, there have been over 30,000 cord blood transplants around the world, used to treat cancers, blood disorders, and genetic diseases. In addition, cord blood can treat metabolic disorders. Patients who are not Caucasian or who have mixed racial heritage are more likely to receive a cord blood transplant instead of a bone marrow transplant.
Cord blood is also an emerging therapy for children who have acquired neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy. Umbilical cord blood has medical value because it is one of the richest sources of stem cells in the human body, but it can only be harvested at birth.
All expectant parents should be educated about cord blood, and should consider their options to donate or privately save their baby’s cord blood.
New Jersey was the first state to have a state wide program of collecting cord blood donations for the public, established by executive order on 18 Oct. 2005. New Jersey has state legislation around cord blood education that follows the Institute of Medicine guidelines and mandates/encourages physicians to educate expectant parents about ALL forms of cord blood banking.