Umbilical cord blood is a rich source of stem cells, which generate the required blood cells in a human body.

The stem cells can sometimes get damaged and can start generating more number or lesser number of blood cells than required.

These conditions result in certain diseases which can be cured by removing the damaged stem cells and introducing good stem cells that can generate the required amount of blood cells. Umbilical cord blood can be used to treat such cases of stem cell related problems. The blood in the umbilical cord of a baby can be removed after birth without harming the baby in any way.

This umbilical cord blood will then be tested to ensure that it is free of any infection or any disease causing agents. Once it is found eligible to be stored, it is processed by adding certain chemicals and stored in special containers where it can be stored for periods of up to ten years.

This cord blood will also be tissue typed and the information regarding the donation and the tissue type will be stored in a database. When a requirement arises for the umbilical cord blood, typically for a stem cell transplant, the database will be searched for a matching blood type. Once a match is found, it can be requested and the blood can be transferred to the required place.

The umbilical cord blood will be used in the transplantation procedure and can act as a source of stem cells for the patient. Umbilical cord blood presents a lot of advantages. It can be collected in a very safe and simple manner. It has been found to be rich in stem cells.It can be stored in small blood bags and can be stored for a long time.

These advantages have made umbilical cord blood donation and storage a common procedure. Many people are getting to know of the advantages and many are willing to donate their umbilical cord blood. In some cases these are donated to public umbilical cord blood banks, where they can be used to save an unrelated patient’s life. In other cases people are making use of private umbilical cord blood banks.

In these cases the blood is stored and reserved by the donor for a fee. This blood can be used by the donor if a requirement arises for himself or his family and is not publicly available.