Quick Facts
Treatment of Disease: Umbilical cord blood transplants can treat leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell disease, and various inherited immune system disorders, to name a few, according to the National Marrow Donor Program.
Better than Bone Marrow: Cord blood matches need to meet only 4 out of 6 criteria, while bone marrow matches must meet at least 5 out of 6 criteria.
Donations are Growing: The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) provided nearly 650 cord blood units for transplant in 2007, an increase of more than 144 percent over 2006.
Chance of Family Match: Only 30 percent of patients in need of a marrow or blood cell transplant find a matched donor in their family. The other 70 percent may turn to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) to search for an unrelated donor or cord blood unit.
Ethnicity Matters: Because tissue types are inherited, patients are more likely to match someone from their own race or ethnicity. Adding more donors and cord blood units from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to the NMDP's Be the Match Registry increases the likelihood that all patients will find the match they need.
NOT Embryonic Stem Cells: While ethical controversies still rage over the collection and use of embryonic stem cells, umbilical cord blood has received support from the Vatican for its safe and ethical collection techniques.
NOT for Cloning: Umbilical cord blood donations are used for the treatment of disease and NOT for research in areas like cloning.
Pain of Donation: Donating cord blood is quick, simple, and completely painless to both mom and baby.
Cost: Cord blood donation to Illinois' public bank, ITxM Clinical Services is FREE.
Additional Resources:
Be the Match - National Marrow Donor Program
ITxM Cord Blood Services - Illinois' public cord blood bank
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Policy Statement
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG)
