Watch
Eric’s
new
NBC piece on
Cord Blood Stem Cells
LOS ANGELES–Feb 4, 2008 – In a statement issued today, the Association
of Family Cord Blood Banks (AFCBB) expressed support for updated
recommendations on cord blood banking put forward by the American
College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
The ACOG opinion, published in the February 2008 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology,
recognizes that umbilical cord blood offers distinct advantages
over bone marrow or peripheral blood when used in stem cell transplantation
and that healthcare professionals should provide expectant parents
balanced and accurate information on both family and public cord
blood banking options when discussing the topic.
Providing fair and balanced information on cord blood banking
options is consistent with the principle of informed choice first
issued by the Institute of Medicine (IoM) in 2005. This tenet acknowledges
the need for every expectant mother to receive fair and balanced
education prior to labor and delivery so that she can make an informed
choice about her available options: preserve the cord blood stem
cells for future family use, donate the cells for public use or
research, or discard them.
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