Umbilical Cord Blood Transplant

An umbilical cord blood transplant involves collecting blood from a newborn's umbilical cord and using it to treat certain blood-related diseases, like leukemia or blood disorders. The cord blood contains stem cells, which can develop into healthy blood cells. After collection, the blood is stored and later transplanted into a patient whose own blood cells are damaged or diseased. These stem cells then help rebuild healthy blood cell production. This procedure offers an alternative to bone marrow transplants, often with less strict matching requirements, and can be life-saving for patients who need new, healthy blood cells.