Umbilical cord blood banking

Abstract

Current therapeutic uses of umbilical cord blood stem cells and the promise of these cells for the treatment of degenerative diseases in the future have led to the establishment of cord blood banks in many parts of the world. Although umbilical cord blood banking raises many ethical and legal issues, this article focuses on the controversy created by the coexistence of public and private cord blood banks in many countries. Policy statements adopted by professional associations and advisory groups indicate that, based on the current state of medical evidence, childbearing women with no current or potential familial need of stem cell transplantation should be encouraged to donate cord blood to public banks. Collected cord blood that does not meet standards for transplantation should be made available for research, and options should be provided to parents so that they can make informed decisions regarding which types of research they are willing to support.