As an expecting parent, you have three options when deciding what to do with your baby's cord blood:

• Privately store your baby's cord blood : Currently, there are thousands of scientists and projects worldwide working on regenerative medicine (re-growing body parts lost through aging, injury or illness) and many families are opting for personal storage of their cord blood based on the current trends and future potential.

• Donate the cord blood: By donating your baby's cord blood you are possibly saving the life of another human being. This blood can be used to help treat an unrelated third party or for research of new treatments.

• Discard your baby's cord blood: Discarding the baby's cord blood was once considered the standard procedure. However, Doctor's have discovered that this "medical waste" contains precious life saving stem cells. This option is still available for families who do not which to donate or store the cord blood.