Important Announcement to Birthing Industry Professionals and Expecting Families from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
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.
“This announcement is a huge victory for non-controversial stem cells, and the thousands of patients in the US who could benefit from the incredible treatments cord blood can provide”
Eric Drew – National Advocate for Cord Blood Treatments and Banking (see www.drewfoundation.org)
Dallas Hextell "was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, but is now showing fewer signs of the disorder and marked improvement after an infusion of his own stem cells" — made possible by the preservation of his own cord blood.
