What Is Cord Blood Awareness Month?
Cord Blood Awareness Month is observed nationally every July to highlight the importance of collecting and preserving umbilical cord blood at birth. This blood is rich in stem cells that are responsible for producing and maintaining a healthy blood and immune system throughout life. Cord blood stem cells have established uses in transplant medicine and clinical trials have explored cord blood's potential use in regenerative medicine applications.
Cord Blood Awareness month serves as a platform to:
- Increase awareness of cord blood use and it's life-changing potential
- Provide educational resources for families and healthcare professionals
- Empower informed decisions about cord blood banking
Why Cord Blood Awareness Matters
Despite growing recognition, many expectant parents remain unaware of cord blood banking and its potential benefits. Cord Blood Awareness Month helps bridge that gap by sharing trusted information and educational resources - because every parent deserves to know about options that could support their family's future health.
Understanding Cord Blood
Umbilical cord blood is the blood that remains in a baby's umbilical cord after the baby is born. Cord blood contains a high concentration of "blood-forming" Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs). These stem cells can turn into red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. Instead of discarding the umbilical cord as medical waste, cord blood can be easily collected, then processed in a laboratory to isolate and cryopreserve the stem cells for potential future medical use.
The process of collection cord blood is:
- Safe & Painless
- Non-invasive for mom & baby
- Designed to fit into any birth plan (c-section, delayed cord clamping)
How Can Cord Blood Be Used?
A Brief History
The first successful cord blood transplant was performed in 1988 on a five-year-old boy with Fanconi anemia, who received stem cells from his newborn sister's umbilical cord blood. This marked a breakthrough in treating blood disorders, and opened the door for cord blood to become a well-established and reliable source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in transplant medicine.
Established Use: Stem Cell Transplants
Today, cord blood stem cells can be used to rebuild a healthy blood and immune system in the treatment of over 80+ conditions, for certain:
Blood Cancers
Metabolic and Immune Disorders
Blood Disorders
Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes
View List Of Conditions
Most conditions are inherited genetic disorders, meaning the patient's own stem cells carry the same genetic defect and are generally not suitable for use in treatment. Instead, these patients typically require stem cells from a genetically matched sibling's cord blood, or another stem cell donor. There are a handful of non-genetic conditions where a child’s own cord blood may be the preferred source of stem cells if a transplant is needed.
Watch Cord Blood In Action:
ViaCord Family Shares Their Story
Many ViaCord families have experienced firsthand the life-changing impact of cord blood banking. As a pediatrician, Kathy chose to bank her eldest son Andrew's cord blood with ViaCord never imagining her family would need it. When her second son, Luke, was born with an unexpected diagnosis of Diamond Blackfan anemia, Andrew's banked cord blood provided the stem cells needed for a potentially life-saving transplant. Today, Luke is thriving and serves as a powerful example of the potential of cord blood banking.
Clinical Trial & Research Use: Regenerative Medicine
Researchers have explored cord blood's potential in regenerative medicine where cells are intended to play a supportive role - unlike in stem cell transplantation where the cord blood stem cells permanently engraft in the patient's body to rebuild a healthy blood and immune system. Depending on the specific clinical trial protocol, the stem cells used may come from a child's own cord blood or from a sibling's cord blood.
Brain Injury
Cerebral Palsy
Cardiac Conditions
Hearing Loss
Visit clinicaltrials.gov for details and updates
Watch Cord Blood In Action:
ViaCord Family Shares Their Story
Hundreds of ViaCord families have had the opportunity to participate in regenerative medicine clinical trials in which a child has received an infusion of either their own cord blood or a sibling's. Brady’s parents chose to bank his cord blood with ViaCord in the hopes it might one day be useful in the fight against diabetes. They never expected their decisiowould take on such significance so soon.
Take Action
If you're expecting a baby or planning for a family, July is the perfect time to learn about your options. Here’s how you can take action during Cord Blood Awareness Month
Educate Yourself
Explore trusted resources like Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Banking and ViaCord
Share Your Story
If you've banked cord blood or benefited from it's use, consider sharing your experience.
For families interested in cord blood banking, ViaCord offers comprehensive cord blood and tissue banking services designed to safeguard your newborn’s stem cells. Learn more about our cord blood banking services and explore our Cord Blood & Tissue 101 educational resource page to help you make an informed decision.
Cord Blood Awareness Month is more than just a month on the calendar - it’s a call to action for families to learn more about protecting their children’s potential health and supporting the future of regenerative medicine. By understanding the power of cord blood and taking steps to preserve it, you can help ensure that your family has access to potentially life-saving therapies today and tomorrow.
Disclaimer: Banking cord blood does not guarantee that treatment will work, and only a doctor can determine when it can be used. This is intended for educational purposes only and should not be used or interpreted as information on treatments or diagnoses.
References:
Diseases Treated by Cord Blood Transplant; Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/diseases
Hao QL, Shah AJ, Thiemann FT, Smogorzewska EM, Crooks GM. A functional comparison of CD34 + CD38- cells in cord blood and bone marrow. Blood. 1995 Nov 15;86(10):3745-53. PMID: 7579341. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7579341/
Clinical trial details can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov www.clinicaltrials.gov
Obeagu EI. Umbilical cord blood: a comprehensive review of protective and restorative properties in clinical applications - a narrative review. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2025 Aug 29;87(10):6618-6625. doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000003823. PMID: 41181451; PMCID: PMC12577836. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12577836/
