Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Ethical issues in umbilical cord blood banking. Working Group on Ethical Issues in Umbilical Cord Blood Banking.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Sugarman, J; Kaalund, V; Kodish, E; Marshall, MF; Reisner, EG; Wilfond, BS; Wolpe, PR
Published in: JAMA
September 17, 1997

OBJECTIVE: Banking umbilical cord blood (UCB) to be used as a source of stem cells for transplantation is associated with a set of ethical issues. An examination of these issues is needed to inform public policy and to raise the awareness of prospective parents, clinicians, and investigators. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals with expertise in anthropology, blood banking, bone marrow transplantation, ethics, law, obstetrics, pediatrics, and the social sciences were invited to join the Working Group on Ethical Issues in Umbilical Cord Blood Banking. EVIDENCE: Members were assigned topics to present to the Working Group. Following independent reviews, background materials were sent to the Working Group. CONSENSUS PROCESS: Individual presentations of topics at a 2-day meeting were followed by extensive group discussions in which consensus emerged. A writing committee then drafted a document that was circulated to the entire Working Group. After 3 rounds of comments over several months, all but 1 member of the Working Group agreed with the presentation of our conclusions. CONCLUSIONS: (1) Umbilical cord blood technology is promising although it has several investigational aspects; (2) during this investigational phase, secure linkage should be maintained of stored UCB to the identity of the donor; (3) UCB banking for autologous use is associated with even greater uncertainty than banking for allogeneic use; (4) marketing practices for UCB banking in the private sector need close attention; (5) more data are needed to ensure that recruitment for banking and use of UCB are equitable; and (6) the process of obtaining informed consent for collection of UCB should begin before labor and delivery.

Duke Scholars

Published In

JAMA

ISSN

0098-7484

Publication Date

September 17, 1997

Volume

278

Issue

11

Start / End Page

938 / 943

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Transplantation, Autologous
  • Tissue and Organ Procurement
  • Therapies, Investigational
  • Risk Assessment
  • Resource Allocation
  • Public Policy
  • Private Sector
  • Pregnant Women
  • Pregnancy
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Sugarman, J., Kaalund, V., Kodish, E., Marshall, M. F., Reisner, E. G., Wilfond, B. S., & Wolpe, P. R. (1997). Ethical issues in umbilical cord blood banking. Working Group on Ethical Issues in Umbilical Cord Blood Banking. JAMA, 278(11), 938–943.
Sugarman, J., V. Kaalund, E. Kodish, M. F. Marshall, E. G. Reisner, B. S. Wilfond, and P. R. Wolpe. “Ethical issues in umbilical cord blood banking. Working Group on Ethical Issues in Umbilical Cord Blood Banking.JAMA 278, no. 11 (September 17, 1997): 938–43.
Sugarman J, Kaalund V, Kodish E, Marshall MF, Reisner EG, Wilfond BS, et al. Ethical issues in umbilical cord blood banking. Working Group on Ethical Issues in Umbilical Cord Blood Banking. JAMA. 1997 Sep 17;278(11):938–43.
Sugarman, J., et al. “Ethical issues in umbilical cord blood banking. Working Group on Ethical Issues in Umbilical Cord Blood Banking.JAMA, vol. 278, no. 11, Sept. 1997, pp. 938–43.
Sugarman J, Kaalund V, Kodish E, Marshall MF, Reisner EG, Wilfond BS, Wolpe PR. Ethical issues in umbilical cord blood banking. Working Group on Ethical Issues in Umbilical Cord Blood Banking. JAMA. 1997 Sep 17;278(11):938–943.
Journal cover image

Published In

JAMA

ISSN

0098-7484

Publication Date

September 17, 1997

Volume

278

Issue

11

Start / End Page

938 / 943

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Transplantation, Autologous
  • Tissue and Organ Procurement
  • Therapies, Investigational
  • Risk Assessment
  • Resource Allocation
  • Public Policy
  • Private Sector
  • Pregnant Women
  • Pregnancy