Cord Blood FAQs

How many cord blood transplants have there been?

Cord blood has been used in more than 30,000 transplants to treat over 70 life-threatening diseases.

What are the odds that my child or family member will need a cord blood transplant?

In 2008, a study* reported comprehensive estimates of the odds of a person in the U.S. receiving a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (utilizing cord blood stem cells, bone marrow stem cells or peripheral blood stem cells). The study estimated the odds of receiving one’s own cells for transplant at approximately 1 in 400.

*Nietfeld JJ. Lifetime probabilities of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the U.S. Biol. Blood Marrow Transplant. 2008, 14:316-322

How long will my baby’s cord blood remain viable under cryo-storage?

CORD:USE Family Cord Blood Bank Founder Hal Broxmeyer, Ph.D. was involved in the world’s first successful cord blood transplants. More than 20 years ago, Dr. Broxmeyer placed multiple units in cryogenic storage. He has documented viability in each of the samples which he removed from storage and tested after 21 years of storage. There are many factors that may influence long-term viability, but the experts believe that if stored properly, cord blood should remain viable for decades. The actual proven length of time that cord blood stem cells can remain viable should continue to increase as additional cord blood units are tested after remaining in cryostorage for a greater number of years/decades. CORD:USE will always use what its team feels are the highest quality practices and the most advanced technologies to ensure the greatest likelihood for long-term viability of your baby’s cord blood.

Is there any possibility that the process could harm my child?

The cord blood is only collected after your baby has been delivered, the umbilical cord clamped and cut and your baby is safely in your arms or the pediatric team’s care. Therefore, the cord blood collection will not harm your baby.

Are there religious, political, or moral implications of doing this?

The use of cord blood, which is typically disposed of as medical waste, is considered to be non-controversial and has widespread religious and governmental support. In contrast, the controversy one frequently hears in the media involves embryonic stem cells, which involve removing cells from unborn human embryos. CORD:USE is not involved with any aspect of embryonic stem cell research.

If my child or family member needs a transplant, can’t we get cord blood from a public bank?

Cord blood stored with the CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank will be an exact match for your child and has a 30% probability of being an exact match or a very close match for each brother or sister. There is no guarantee that a suitable match will be available on a public registry. Expectant parents choose family cord blood banking to ensure that the cord blood will be available if needed.