Are cord blood stem cells different from other stem cells?

Yes, cord blood stem cells differ from other types of adult stem cells. Cord blood has the following benefits:

Simple and non-invasive:

• Cord blood is easily collected is painless for both mother and baby
• Minimal waiting time between need and time of treatment There is no need to locate a compatible donor
• No invasive procedure to harvest bone marrow if required

Cord blood medical advantages:

• Cord blood stem cells are more potent than adult stem cells
• Environmental pollutants, viruses and chemicals have not yet affected the cord blood stem cells

Cord blood flexibility:

• Decreased potential for graft vs host disease and lower incidence of viral transmissions

A perfect match:

• Your baby's umbilical cord stem cells are an exact match for your child.
• The closer the match, the better chance of the body accepting the cells