Women's Health Issues
Volume 17, Issue 5 , Pages 277-280 , September 2007

Understanding Umbilical Cord Blood Banking: What Women Need to Know Before Deciding

  • Linda Kharaboyan, LLB

      Affiliations

    • Centre de Recherche en Droit Public, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
    • Linda Kharaboyan, LLB, is a lawyer and research associate affiliated to the Centre de recherche en droit public at the Université de Montréal. She has conducted extensive research on newborn screening and bloodspot storage and is now examining the socio-ethical and legal questions surrounding umbilical cord blood banking.
    • ,
  • Bartha Maria Knoppers, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Centre de Recherche en Droit Public, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
    • Bartha Maria Knoppers, PhD, holds the Canada Research Chair in Law and Medicine and the Chaire d’excellence Pierre Fermat (France). She is a Professor at the Faculté de droit, Université de Montréal and Senior Researcher at the Centre de recherche en droit public.
    • ,
  • Denise Avard, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Centre de Recherche en Droit Public, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
    • Denise Avard, PhD, is the Research Director for the Genetics and Society Project at the Université de Montréal. Her research interests are in the areas of genetic testing and screening relevant to newborn, children, adolescents and persons with disabilities.
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Denise Avard, PhD, Centre de recherche en droit public. Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada.
    • ,
  • Jeff Nisker, MD, PhD, FRCSC

      Affiliations

    • Shulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
    • Jeff Nisker, MD, PhD, FRCSC, Coordinator of Health Ethics and Humanities and Professor of Obstetrics-Gynaecology and Oncology at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario (UWO). His research is transdisciplinary, centering on public engagement for health-policy development, particularly regarding emerging genetic technologies.

Received 6 January 2006 ,Accepted 6 May 2006.

References 

  1. American Academy of Pediatrics & Work Group on Cord Blood Banking. Cord blood for potential future transplantation: subject review. Pediatrics. 1999;104:116–118
  2. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Committee on Obstetric Practice & ACOG committee opinion. Routine storage of umbilical cord for potential future transplantation. International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. 1997;58:257–259
  3. Armson BA Maternal/Fetal Medicine Committee. Umbilical cord blood banking: implications for perinatal care providers. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada. 2005;27:263–274
  4. Ballen KK. New trends in umbilical cord blood transplantation. Blood. 2005;105:3786–3792
  5. Eastlund T. Infectious disease transmission through cell, tissue, and organ transplantation: reducing the risk through donor selection. Cell Transplantation. 1995;4:455–477
  6. European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies. Ethical aspects of umbilical cord blood banking. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities; 2004;(Opinion No. 19)
  7. Fernandez CV, Gordon K, Van den Hof M, Taweel S, Baylis F. Knowledge and attitudes of pregnant women with regard to collection, testing and banking of cord blood stem cells. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2003;168:695–698
  8. Fisk NM, Roberts IA, Markwald R, Mironov V. Can routine commercial cord blood banking be scientifically and ethically justified?. Public Library of Science Medicine. 2005;2:e44
  9. Héma-Québec. (2006). Homepage. Available: www.hema-quebec.qc.ca. Accessed December 14, 2005.
  10. Hundley, K. (2003, May 12). Mining medical waste. St. Petersburg Times. Available: from www.sptimes.com. Accessed April 26, 2005.
  11. Institute of Medicine & Board on Health Sciences Policy. Cord blood: Establishing a national hematopoietic stem cell bank program. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences; 2005;
  12. International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics—Committee for the Study of Ethical Aspects of Human Reproduction. Guidelines for physician relationships with industry. London, UK: International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics; 2003;
  13. Kurtzberg J, Drapkin LJ, Sugarman J. Untying the Gordian knot: Policies, practices, and ethical issues related to banking of umbilical cord blood. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2005;115:2592–2597
  14. McCullough J, Clay ME, Fautsch S, Noreen H, Segall M, Perry E, et al. Proposed policies and procedures for the establishment of a cord blood bank. Blood Cells. 1994;20:609–626
  15. National Consultative Ethics Committee for Health and Life Sciences. Umbilical cord banks for autologous use or for research. Paris: National Consultative Ethics Committee for Health and Life Sciences; 2002;(Opinion No. 74)
  16. National Marrow Donor Program. Position paper: National cord blood program. Minneapolis: National Marrow Donor Program; 2004;Available: www.marrow.org. Accessed April 26, 2005
  17. Pinch WJ. Cord blood banking: ethical implications. American Journal of Nursing. 2001;101:55–59
  18. Rocha V, Labopin M, Sanz G, Arcese W, Schwerdtfeger R, Bosi A, et al. Transplants of umbilical-cord blood or bone marrow from unrelated donors in adults with acute leukemia. New England Journal of Medicine. 2004;351:2276–2285
  19. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists—Scientific Advisory Committee (RCOG). Umbilical cord blood banking. London: Author; 2001;(Opinion Paper No. 2)
  20. Saginur M, Kharaboyan L, Knoppers BM. Umbilical cord stem cells: issues with privacy and public banks. Alberta Law Review. 2004;12:17–34
  21. Sanz MA. Cord-blood transplantation in patients with leukemia—a real alternative for adults. New England Journal of Medicine. 2004;351:2328–2330
  22. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC). Welcome. 2005;Available: www.sogc.org. Accessed December 14, 2005
  23. Warwick R, Armitage S. Cord blood banking. Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 2004;18:995–1011
  24. Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005. Pub. L. No 109-129, 119 Stat. 2550.

PII: S1049-3867(06)00066-1

doi: 10.1016/j.whi.2006.03.006

Women's Health Issues
Volume 17, Issue 5 , Pages 277-280 , September 2007

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