Stem cells collected from donated umbilical cord blood have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat more than 80 diseases, including leukemia and lymphoma, according to the Cord Blood Center.
Expectant parents can save stem cells from their child’s umbilical cord blood for use in medical procedures and transplants for their child and can choose to store or donate these stem cells to a patient who might need them, which is called cord blood banking. There are more than half a million donated cord blood units worldwide, with thousands more units added every year.
By learning more about cord blood and about the science behind stem cell transplants, parents can then decide if storing their child’s leftover umbilical cord cells is the right option for their family.
The FDA does caution consumers to make sure that any stem cell treatment they are considering has been approved by the agency or is being studied in clinical trials.
For more information, go to the Cord Blood Center website.