Warning over cord blood banking
posted in - General, - Palmdoc |The BBC reports
Parents have been warned against the use of private companies to store blood from their babies’ umbilical cord. Thousands of couples have already paid up to £1,500 to store samples which could potentially be used in the treatment of disease.
But a Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists report said there was ‘insufficient evidence’ to recommend the practice.
Doctors have raised concern companies were playing on patients’ fears.
This topic has been mentioned before in the old MMR:
Feedback April 12, 2004
Cord Stem Cell Banks : An investment for the future?
Cord Blood Banking
Cord Blood Banking II
What the BBC news story’s message is that countries really need to first and foremost fund and support their Public Cord Blood Banks as cord blood from these banks are open to all those who need these stem cells. Indeed the vast majority of cord blood transplants have been from Public cord blood transplants. In contrast only a tiny portion of cord blood collected in Private cord blood banks is ever used for transplant, reflecting the miniscule likelihood that it would be used in the first place for the vast majority of people.
Technorati Tags: cord blood, stem cells, transplant, cryopreservation bone marrow
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June 16th, 2006 at 7:12 pm
Just another tactic for these money sucking company to prey on parents.