 News
13th October 2006
Mums urged not to bank cord blood as insurance
New mothers should not bank cord blood as insurance if their child gets
ill, an expert warns.
Consultant obstetrician Leroy Edozien says women should
donate to the NHS cord blood bank instead with the aim of helping others.
Cord blood is rich in stem cells that can treat diseases
like leukaemia and is a cheaper and easier option than using bone marrow.
Storing cord blood has become increasingly popular over
recent years with mothers who want a solution 'just in case' their child
needs it.
However, institutions such as the Royal College of Obstetricians
and Gynaecologists advise against this and its often hefty price tag of
up to £1500 saying there is insufficient scientific evidence.
They also believe that the collection and paperwork associated
with the practice is overstretching an already overworked midwifery service.
Cord blood needs to be collected immediately after the delivery
of the baby, a time when both mother and the newborn need the most attention.
Mr Edozien, who works at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester,
said "Time spent on collecting cord blood is time away from the care of
this mother, the baby, and, critically, other patients."
He added that the same restrictions do not apply to altruistic
collections because "The blood is collected by specially trained
staff who are not involved in routine care and there is no imperative
to obtain a sample from any particular woman."
But Professor Peter Braude of the RCOG says private banks
would not be needed if the NHS cord blood bank, which collects about 2000
cord specimens a year, was large enough.
And a spokeswoman from one of the leading private banks
in the UK, added, "Private banks in the UK have an important role to play,
particularly as the NHS has limited resources."
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