Ethical Aspects of Cord Blood Banking

The Group is issuing an Opinion on the ethical aspects of cord blood banking following a request from President Prodi in 2001. Concerns on commercial cord blood banks were also expressed in questions from members of the European Parliament to the European Commission. There are concerns namely about the fact that promises about the benefits of cord blood transplantations to treat a number of diseases were made to convince future parents to store cord blood from newborn babies against payment with a view to using it to treat a disease incurred by the child or one of his family members and for which there is at present no medical evidence for the validity of the treatment.

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