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Expert opinion on cord blood banking

In 2006, in the UK; the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) gave a detailed opinion statement about private cord blood banking. Among the highlights of what ones needs to bear n mind before taking the plunge, the RCOG pointed out that:

· On current trends, the possibility of an individual (the child) needing his/her own cord blood for blood disorders by the age of 20 is extremely small

· The potential for using cord blood stem cells for other non-blood disorders is still speculative at present and it is by no means possible to predict whether this will turn out to be the case

· In cases where the individual develops a disease which is genetic in origin, their own blood may not be appropriate.

· Alternatives in the form of national cord blood banks and bone marrow registries are available and there is international collaboration.

· At adulthood, even if the banked cord blood was found to be suitable, the amount for anybody weighing more than 50 kg (most adults) may actually be inadequate and therefore next to useless.

In places like the UK, people need to be aware that legitimate practical issue may make it difficult or impossible for the cord blood to be collected. It is essential that the blood is collected by a trained professional and in a UK hospital, that person will be a midwife or doctor. In situations where the mother or baby’s health needs close immediate attention such as fetal distress, prematurity, haemorrhage etc, it may not be possible for the midwife or doctor to spare the time to deal with cord blood collection. It is therefore conceivable that even if a mother is decided on having cord blood banking, events on the day may prevent this.

There are some companies that suggest that a member of the family could get the kit and perform the cord blood collection thus freeing the hospital staff to do what they normally do. This approach is probably quite naive and impractical. Even if an untrained person was able to take the blood from the detached placenta, the risk of contamination is high and that will render the sample useless.

In some countries, Italy being an example, private cord blood banking is banned outright. The European Union in general discourages the practice. In its place, national cord blood banks are promoted as the ideal way forward.

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