Cord blood banking involves collecting the blood that remains in your newborn’s umbilical cord after birth and storing it for future medical use. This blood is rich in hematopoietic stem cells, which have the remarkable ability to develop into different types of blood cells and immune system components. First used in transplant medicine in 1988, cord blood has since become a critical tool for treating a growing list of diseases. By choosing to bank cord blood, families secure a unique medical resource that may be life-saving for their child or a genetically matching sibling. Families often view this as a form of “biological insurance,” especially if there’s a history...