Growth of American Cord Blood Market Slows

 According to a new report by the Government Accountability Office, the pool of cord blood units available for transplant is lacking. Over the course of the past year, there has been a decline in the number of cord blood units donated and banked in the United States; the GAO addresses the issue and presents some solutions that may help to increase the donor pool in the future.  

The GAO states that a lack of resources could be the cause of the shortage of cord blood donors. In response to this issue, it has been suggested that expanding the number of collection sites and employing more staff may help. However, cord blood banks state that there are some financial restrictions associated with the solution, and more government funding would be required in order to create more collection sites and employ more staff.  

The report also noted that the expanding applications of cord blood therapy could increase the demand for cord blood banking. As researchers discover more ways to use cord blood in the treatment of a wider range of diseases, the GAO predicts that more parents will become interested in banking and donating their children’s cord blood.  

Awareness of the benefits of cord blood banking seems to be at the heart of the issue. It is important for doctors to inform their patients about the possibility of banking or donating their children’s cord blood. Currently, legislations are being passed in various states to make this commonplace, and it is hoped that an increase in awareness will result in increased cord blood donations.  

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/us-cord-blood-supply-lacking-gao/story?id=14722246