Umbilical cord blood banking
Cord blood banking is when the baby’s umbilical cord is collected and stored after delivery. Umbilical cord blood is rich in stem cells and is found to be effective in treating up to 80 diseases. These stem cells can be lifesavers for those who do not make enough healthy stem cells due to severe medical conditions and therefore donated stem cells can help if a match is made between the donor and the person in need of them.
Positives about umbilical cord blood banking
The umbilical cord has a rich source of multipotent stem cells, which have a greater development rate than blood marrow stem cells. They are also less likely to trigger an immune response within a patient. It can also be used to reconstruct the bone marrow after high dose chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Other positives include an easy procurement and immediate availability.
Concerns about umbilical cord blood banking
Concerns have been raised recently due to biobank companies directing marketing at expectant parents with misleading statements, an example being that stem cells can develop into any type of stem cell in the body, although this has been disproven. Additionally, parents will have to pay costs ranging from £550 to £3000 which does not include annual storage fees to keep the stem cells frozen. Biobanks may seem appealing to expecting parents due to the misconception that umbilical cord blood can be used in a multitude of conditions and diseases including blood or immune disorders. However, due to false advertisement yet again, this has also been disproven as stem cells in umbilical cords are a form of adult stem cell meaning that there is a restriction into the cells they could later develop into.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives do not recommend commercially harvesting umbilical cord blood unless there is a specific medical reason due to the lack of evidence at present surrounding umbilical cord harvesting privately.
To conclude, umbilical cord blood banking appears to be a promising initiative to use as an alternative to bone marrow stem cells. However, due to ethical concerns surrounding private biobanks and misconceptions, it is heavily unclear to expecting parents whether this would be an appropriate risk to take. It is important to emphasise that individual research is incredibly important when being exposed to procedures which may not be actively recommended as seen by the Royal College of Obstetricians, Gynecologists and of Midwives.
Written by Aaliyah
Moderated by Adelene
References:
Chima, S.C. and Fahmida Mamdoo (2019). Ethical and regulatory issues surrounding umbilical cord blood banking in South Africa. South African Journal of Bioethics and Law, [online] 4(2), p.79. Available at: http://www.sajbl.org.za/index.php/sajbl/article/view/138/163#:~:text=Ethical%20dilemmas%20arising%20from%20UCB%20biobanking%201%20Information [Accessed 21 Aug. 2024].
Cleveland Clinic (2022). Cord Blood Banking: Purpose, Procedure & What To Expect. [online] Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/23981-cord-blood-banking.
Kwan, J. (2024). Cord blood banking: Experts raise concern over claims made for stem cell applications. BMJ, [online] 386, p.q1581. doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.q1581.
Young, E. (2002). Umbilical cord stem cells multiplied in lab. [online] New Scientist. Available at: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2949-umbilical-cord-stem-cells-multiplied-in- lab/#:~:text=However%2C%20blood%20from%20umbilical%20cords%20is%20a%20promising [Accessed 17 Aug. 2024].
