July is Cord Blood Awareness Month. This month is designated to awareness of the benefits of banking or storing the umbilical cord blood. Most people don’t know what cord blood is or how beneficial it can be. Cord blood is what is left in the umbilical cord and the placenta after the baby is born. This particular blood is abundant in Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs).
The cells are extracted and saved to be used for treatments for more than 80 different diseases and disorders such as:
Mother’s can elect to have the cord blood retrieved and donated free of charge or retrieved and stored privately for a fee. You can find more information on private storage options here.
If you or someone you know is pregnant, talk to them about possibly donating cord blood to possibly help another mother in need.