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This story was produced in partnership with Cord Blood Registry® the world’s largest newborn stem cell company.

3 Myths About Cord Blood 

1. Cord blood is only good for 18 years.

Given all the information available today, it is believed that cord blood units in proper cryostorage should be able to be preserved indefinitely.

2. I only need to store cord blood for one of my children.

While most cord blood stem cell transplants require that the stem cells be from a matched donor (like a matched sibling), the individual’s own stem cells may be used for certain conditions, especially in the investigational field of regenerative medicine.

In fact, every child is unique and is a perfect genetic match to their own newborn stem cells. Full siblings have up to a 75 percent chance of being at least a partial genetic match. By preserving the cord blood for each child, you are ensuring you have a perfect match for each child and multiple options for future potential use.

3. If you delay clamping of the umbilical cord, you can’t preserve cord blood.

Actually, both options—cord blood preservation and delayed cord clamping — can be right for your family. This study from the New York Blood Center, the largest donor bank in the U.S., indicates that delayed cord clamping of 30-60 seconds does not significantly diminish the cell count of cord blood collected for preservation.

What the Heck Are Stem Cells Again And Why Are They Such a Big Deal?

Stems cells are the budding youngsters of the cellular world. Most cells in the body are already fully developed for a task — muscle cells that move, blood cells that carry oxygen, and brain cells that relay messages. Stem cells, on the other hand, have yet to specialize to the same extent.

But there isn’t just one type of stem cell. The most common stem cells are specialized or “adult” stem cells that live in a specific tissue or organ and can only become a cell found in that place. The stem cells in cord blood, also called hematopoietic stem cells, can turn into any type of blood or immune cell. That’s why cord blood stem cells can be so valuable for patients with conditions that prevent the body from producing healthy blood cells on its own.

Cord blood and cord tissue stem cells are extra special because they’re so young — they haven’t been in contact with diseases or pollutants that older stem cells might face. Collecting them at birth ensures you’re saving the youngest cells you can while avoiding invasive and more difficult procedures to collect them from bone marrow in the future, if needed.