The collection and storage of umbilical cord blood when a baby is born is becoming increasingly common. The reason is that the cells contained in the umbilical cord blood have therapeutic value for the treatment of malignant and non-malignant blood disorders and immune diseases. Cord blood has been used in transplant medicine since the first allogeneic cord blood transplant was performed in 1988 and, over the last 25 years, this activity has grown rapidly.