What the Doctors Say ? | Public Cord Blood Bank

Leading professional medical organizations in the fields of hematology and bone marrow, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology published recommendations and instructions regarding preserving cord blood. The following are main points:

[Please note: the following are not the official translations, nor are they comprehensive.  They are but a compilation of the items we deemed relevant. Perusing official sources is recommended. See the bibliography at the end of the article.]

1. Mothers should be encouraged to donate cord blood to public banks so that the blood is available to help the sick with life-saving procedures. (1,2)

2. Private preservation of cord blood for personal future use by the newborn isn't recommended. Chances that the child will need it for a future transplant are miniscule. In the case it is needed, it is reasonable to expect that other (and better) sources for stem cell transplants will be available. (1)

3. Preserving the cord blood for a family member can be advised in the case of a sick sibling who can be successfully treated with a stem cell transplant. (1,2,3)

4. Saving the cord blood for a parent is only recommended in the case where there are shared genetic alleles in the tissue types of the parents. (1)

5. Cord blood has been proven to be a remedy for various illnesses. Doctors should know of the various options for preserving cord blood. The following information can be shared with parents who come to consult with a doctor regarding the donation of cord blood: (2)

a. There is no reason to save cord blood for future individual or family use. Most ills which can be treated by hematopoietic stem cell transplant are already latent in the cord blood of the newborn. Doctors should be aware of unfounded arguments by private cord blood banks who promise the newborn and his family insurance against future illnesses by using the newborn's stem cells. (2)

b. Parents should be told that the cord blood will be tested and in the event of irregular results, parents will be notified. They should also be informed that the blood is saved in a public bank and there is no insurance for future personal use. (2)

c. There is no supporting scientific data as to the likelihood of an autologous cord blood transplant and has rested mostly on the odds that the donor child or a family member will require a stem cell transplant, in addition to the growing availability of cord blood, saving cord blood as a 'biological insurance' isn't recommended. (2)

d. Cord blood banks must operate in accordance with national regulations and other organizations, such as FACT/NET-CORD or the FDA.

6. Public and private cord blood banks must provide the following information: (2)

a. Accurate information must be provided as to the potential uses and the limits on preserving the blood for oneself or others. Parents should be notified that the cord blood will not be used for an autologous transplant in the event that the newborn will contract leukemia later in life. Parents should be aware that there is no science proving that cord blood has any regenerative healing properties. (2)

b. Cord blood should not be collected after a complicated birth. No changes should be made in the usual procedure for closing the umbilical cord for cord blood collection. (2,3)

c. Cord blood banks should be under supervision and must work in accordance with regulations of FACT/NET-CORD or a similar organization. (2)

d. Doctors and other professionals, canvassing women and their families to preserve cord blood for commercial companies, must disclose any business or conflicting interests he may have. (2,3)

e. Efforts should be focused on donations to public cord blood banks, especially those with minor representation in the public banks. This will increase the chances of minorities finding a match for a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. (2)

7. Accurate information on the pros and cons of private vs. public donation must be given to the patient.  This includes the odds of the need for an autologous transplant for the newborn or his or her family member. (like 1 in 2,700) (3) They must also notify them of the implications of using low quality cord blood. (3)

Bibliography:

(1) American Society For Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT): ASBMT COMMITTEE REPORT: Collection and Preservation of Cord Blood for Personal Use, Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation 14:356-363 (2008), ASBMT POSITION STATEMENT: Collection and Preservation of Cord Blood for Personal Use, Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation 14:364 (2008).
(2) American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP):  Cord Blood Banking for Potential Future Transplantation.
(3) The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG): committee opinion #399 "Umbilical Cord Blood Banking" published in the February 2008 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.