Umbilical cord blood is increasingly used as a source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation. Due to recent success, cord blood banks are being set up. We reviewed the currently available literature concerning cord blood collection, storage and transplantation, the impact of prenatal and perinatal factors and collection techniques on the quantity and quality of cord blood, and the ethical, legal and social questions related to cord blood transplantation. Possible implications in gynecologic oncology are reviewed and discussed. The emerging therapeutic use of cord blood for transplantation and transfusion implies new challenges for the speciality of gynecology and obstetrics.