Connecticut will soon have its first public umbilical cord blood bank thanks to a law recently passed by state legislators.
Cord blood is the blood that remains in a baby’s umbilical cord after the cord has been cut. Doctors have discovered that cord blood, like bone marrow, is a rich source of unique stem cells that can be used in medical treatments for a number of diseases and conditions including leukemia and other cancers, sickle cell disease and multiple sclerosis.
If cord blood is not banked, however, it is discarded after birth, so lawmakers decided to pass a law to establish the state’s first public cord blood bank.
State Sen. Len Fasano, (R-North Haven), said the cord blood bank will be available to everyone in the state and establish a central place for people to have access to a potential life saving medical alternative.
Currently doctors are required to inform pregnant women about their cord blood banking options but the process is very expensive. The bill passed by lawmakers allows families to donate cells free of charge and bank them for their use or anyone else’s.
The bill now awaits governor’s signature.
