"Human umbilical cord blood is a rich source of the stem and progenitor cells that are also present in bone marrow, and cord blood from related donors has been successfully transplanted in many children worldwide."

From a press release issued by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), October 3, 1996.

Thousands of umbilical cord blood transplants have been performed the world over in the last few years.