As it stands today, it is estimated that one in 2,700 babies will use their own cord blood, and one in 1,400 samples will be used to treat a family member.  However, if you had asked this question in 1983, the chance that these cells would be used would have been approximately one in 40,000. As research improves and progresses, many doctors and scientists believe stem cells will be a very frequent treatment option for a wide variety of diseases.