Umbilical cord blood banks (CBB) were created in order to collect, analyze, store and distribute this type of biological material for the treatment of several diseases. Private CBBs store umbilical cord blood (CB) for personal or family use. Public CBBs store CB for the benefit of the general population. The ethical controversy about this type of biobanks refers to the defense of the existence of private CBBs, or more likely to the prevalence of public CBBs to favor the principles of autonomy and beneficence respectively. An analysis of the biological and ethical aspects related to the creation, development and operation of the two types of CBB was carried. From this analysis it is evident that public and private CBBs, although they store the same biological material, differ in both their fundamentals and procedures. Private CBBs provide incomplete information to parents about the possible usefulness of CB and when parents go through moments of vulnerability, they re unable to make decisions with a high degree of autonomy. CBBs should be based on the principles of solidarity and distributive justice. Public CBBs comply adequately with these principles, however, a deeper analysis of the current need for CB use and its economic implications is necessary. In the ethical debate surrounding CBBs, the strengthening of autonomous decisions of parents should be ensured so that actions that benefit the entire population can be established starting from the individual.