After their baby is born some parents are choosing to have blood from their baby's umbilical cord stored for private medical use. The cord blood is full of stem cells, which may play a role in the treatment of some childhood cancers and treatment of other diseases. We are only at the beginning of understanding what role these stem cells will play for medicine in the future. Some parents are choosing to donate the cord blood to a public bank, where it can be accessed by those who need it. Storing the blood for your family's personal use comes with a cost, while donating cord blood is free. Please talk with your physician if you'd like to learn more about the options regarding cord blood at one of your prenatal appointments.