The reality behind cord blood banking: What parents need to know
Expectant mothers are frequently bombarded with advertisements on social media, in childbirth classes, and even in their doctors’ offices, urging them to bank their baby’s umbilical cord blood for “peace of mind.”
Promises of cord blood banks
Private cord blood banks promote the storage of stem cells in umbilical cord blood as a vital safeguard against future illnesses. They charge several thousand dollars upfront, plus hundreds more annually for storage. However, an investigation by The New York Times has revealed that leading banks have often misled parents about the potential benefits of this technology. Parents attempting to withdraw samples often find them unusable due to low volume or microbial contamination.
Declining use of cord blood
Cord blood is often marketed as a cutting-edge medical technology. However, its use has been declining. In the 1990s, transplant doctors viewed cord blood as a promising source of stem cells for patients with conditions like sickle cell anemia and leukemia who couldn’t find suitable matches. Major cord blood banks such as Cord Blood Registry, ViaCord, and Cryo-Cell claim their stored cells have saved lives and could be crucial for future scientific discoveries.
“We believe in the future of cord blood,” said David Portnoy, CEO of Cryo-Cell. Chet Murray, a spokesman for Revvity, which owns ViaCord, added, “The potential for future scientific advances in addition to the current clinical uses is enormous.” A representative from CooperSurgical, owner of Cord Blood Registry (CBR), highlighted customer testimonials.
However, advancements in medical technology have made it easier to transplant unmatched adult stem cells, leading to a decline in cord blood transplants since 2014. “There has been a trend away from cord blood,” said Dr. Mary Horowitz, deputy director of the cancer center at the Medical College of Wisconsin. “It’s actually a happy story. We now have many options.”
Misleading marketing claims
The New York Times investigation found that cord blood banks often make misleading scientific claims. For instance, they claim that a newborn’s cord blood will be a “100 percent match” for that child. While true, this ignores the fact that for certain conditions, such as leukemia, a child’s own stem cells would be genetically predisposed to become cancerous and thus unusable.
CBR, ViaCord, and Cryo-Cell state that cord blood can treat 80 conditions, but these are mostly rare blood and immune disorders. They also quote a study claiming one in 217 people will need a stem cell transplant by age 70, but Dr. Horowitz, the study’s author, clarified that this figure includes all stem cell sources, not just cord blood. “It’s misleading,” she said.
Experimental treatments
Researchers continue to explore new uses for cord blood in clinical trials. One promising trial involved infusing cord blood into children with cerebral palsy, resulting in some motor function improvements. However, Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, who led the study, noted that many samples from private banks were too small or contaminated.
Cord blood banks often highlight potential treatments for conditions that researchers have not extensively studied. Claims about treating hearing loss, for example, are based on a small 2018 study involving just 11 children. Murray of ViaCord stated, “Research into innovative treatments is ongoing and in various stages.”
Limited utility of private cord blood banking
Even when parents have paid to store cord blood, transplant doctors often choose not to use it due to insufficient stem cell counts. “It’s never enough,” said Dr. Jan Boelens, a pediatric oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering. He noted that privately banked cord blood often falls short, requiring additional bone marrow from donors.
Transplant doctors generally advise against paying for private cord blood storage. Public banks, which store cord blood from anonymous donors, typically meet the needs of children requiring transplants. “The potential, actual, legitimate uses of a privately banked cord blood unit are almost nonexistent,” said Dr. Jonathan Gutman, a pediatric oncologist at the University of Colorado Medical Center.
Issues with contamination
Some parents have found that their stored cord blood was contaminated. Customers of ViaCord and Cord Blood Registry reported unusable samples when attempting to join clinical trials. Earlier this year, FDA inspectors found multiple quality violations at CBR’s storage facility, including leaky storage bags and inadequate sterility testing.
One customer, Renee Johnson, discovered her stored cord blood had tested positive for E. coli. She now advises parents to proactively request their sample’s “sterility report.” A “positive” sterility report indicates contamination.
Murray of ViaCord said the company now informs customers of contaminated samples and is researching decontamination methods.
Despite the marketing promises, parents should be cautious about the real benefits of cord blood banking. The practical applications are limited, and many samples may be unusable. As new medical advancements emerge, the reliance on private cord blood storage continues to decline.