Banking cord blood stem cells: attitude and knowledge of pregnant women in five European countries.

BACKGROUND: This study explores pregnant women's awareness of cord blood stem cells and their attitude regarding banking options in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Questionnaires were distributed in six maternities. This anonymous and self-completed questionnaire included 29 multiple-choice questions based on: 1) sociodemographic factors, 2) awareness and access to information about cord blood banking, 3) banking option preferences, and 4) donating cord blood units (CBUs) to research. RESULTS: A total of 79% of pregnant women had little awareness of cord blood banking (n = 1620). A total of 58% of women had heard of the therapeutic benefits of cord blood, of which 21% received information from midwives and obstetricians. A total of 89% of respondents would opt to store CBUs. Among them, 76% would choose to donate CBUs to a public bank to benefit any patient in need of a cord blood transplant. Twelve percent would choose a mixed bank, and 12%, a private bank. A total of 92% would donate their child's CBU to research when it is not suitable for transplantation. CONCLUSION: The study reveals a strong preference for public banking in all five countries, based on converging values such as solidarity. Attitudes of pregnant women are not an obstacle to the rapid expansion of allogeneic banking in these EU countries. Banking choices do not appear to be correlated with household income. The extent of commercial marketing of cord blood banks in mass media highlights the importance for obstetric providers to play a central role in raising women's awareness early during their pregnancy with evidence-based medical information about banking options.

Cord blood banking in France: reorganising the national network.

Paradoxically, France is one of the leading exporters of cord blood units worldwide, but ranks only 17th in terms of cord blood units per inhabitant, and imports 64% of cord blood grafts to meet national transplantation demands. With three operational banks in 2008, the French allogeneic cord blood network is now entering an important phase of development with the creation of seven new banks collecting from local clusters of maternities. Although the French network of public banks is demonstrating a strong commitment to reorganise and scale up its activities, the revision of France's bioethics law in 2010 has sparked a debate concerning the legalisation of commercial autologous banking. The paper discusses key elements for a comprehensive national plan that would strengthen the allogeneic banking network through which France could meet its national medical needs and guarantee equal access to healthcare.

Are children with imaginary playmates and children said to remember previous lives cross-culturally comparable categories?

Some 15-66% of children in western countries talk about imaginary playmates; in India only 0.2% of children are said to remember a previous life. Both phenomena occur from the age of 30 months to 60-90 months. This article explores whether the two phenomena are cross-culturally comparable categories. The article describes a study of the psychological characteristics of a sample of 15 children said to remember a previous life in India, compared with a matched sample; and compares it with a sample of 15 children with imaginary playmates and a matched sample from Charlottesville, Virginia. No significant differences between the target group and the comparison group were found in either culture, suggesting that both phenomena are normal. One case of an American child with an imaginary playmate and one case of a child in India who is said to remember a previous life are described, using a video-recording of the child's dialogue.