Register for Singapore to ask mothers to donate cord blood
Cord BloodFebruary 12, 2004
2004 FEB 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Singapore's government health service said on January 20, 2004, that 40% of new mothers in the city-state will soon be asked to donate their umbilical cord blood to help patients with leukemia, severe anemia, and other illnesses.
All mothers at KK Women's and Children's Hospital, where 40% of Singapore's births take place, will be asked to donate their cord blood to the new Singapore Cord Blood Bank after delivery, according to a statement from SingHealth, a government-linked company which manages most of Singapore's public hospitals.
The donations will be used to help patients who need stem cell transplants, and the cord blood of mothers who choose not to donate will be discarded, the statement said.
Cord blood stem cells have been used to treat leukemia patients whose bone marrow was destroyed by radiation and chemotherapy. It also has been used to treat more than 70 other diseases, including sickle-cell anemia.
Donors in Singapore forfeit all rights to their blood but will have the estimated 26,000 Singapore dollars (US$15,384) transplantation fee waived if they later require a transplant and a match can be found, the SingHealth statement said. Transplant fees will be used to store and process the donations, it said.
The new bank, which is to be established at a cost of S$15 million (US$8.9 million) by the end of 2004, will be the first nonprofit cord blood banking facility in the city-state and hopes to build a collection of at least 10,000 cord blood donations, the statement said.
Singapore currently has two privately run cord blood banks that store umbilical cord blood for paying clients.
Studies suggest cord blood may still be viable after 15 years in deep freeze. This article was prepared by Women's Health Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2004, Women's Health Weekly via NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net.
©Copyright 2004, Women's Health Weekly via NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net
