July is National Cord Blood Awareness Month

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- July is National Cord Blood Awareness Month. Arkansas is one of the few states with a public cord blood bank.

Plummer Badger,UAMS Cord Blood Coordinatorjoined THV's Alyse Eady to talk more about cord blood and what it can do.

The umbilical cord, placenta, and amniotic fluid, all of which are typically discarded at birth, are rich in cells that can be collected with harm or discomfort to the baby or mom.

Umbilical cord blood has already been used or is being studied as a treatment for several diseases and conditions including spinal cord injury, sickle cell disease, lupus, and other conditions.

Pregnant women only need to tell their doctors that they are interested in donating their healthy baby's cord blood. Collection and transportation are taken care of free of charge.

According to UAMS, cord blood cells are a source of treatment for patients with cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma who lack a bone marrow donor. Cord blood also has tremendous promise for regenerating diseased or injured organs, including heart muscle, bone and spinal cord tissue.

One of the advantages of cord blood is that the donor/recipient match does not have to be as perfect as it does for bone marrow and circulating blood. Since cord blood is stored frozen it is available for use as soon as a matched product is identified.

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July is National Cord Blood Awareness Month