Cord Blood Banking
The umbilical cord contains millions of stem cells, which differentiate and specialize according to the needs of the body. Best of all, these stem cells are accessible with no harm to either mother or infant, are ethically sound by almost any measure and are already a perfect match to an infant’s DNA. Cord blood is usually disposed of after a delivery as medical waste, but technology and organizations are now enabling these stem cells to be preserved up to 15 years or more in the event that they become medically necessary.
- CordBancUSA is a private cord blood bank based in Monterey, California. The organization uses state-of-the-art technologies and practices at every stage of the banking process to ensure that your family’s cord blood cells will be available if you ever need them.
- Cord Blood Donor outlines the reasons and options for donating or banking cord blood.
- Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Banks raises awareness and provides expectant parents with unbiased information about cord blood stem cells and cord blood banks.
- Save the Cord Foundation is working to make the collection of cord blood the standard of care in hospitals throughout the nation, and to make public cord blood banks a national priority.
Teratogens and Birth Defects
Exposure to agents called teratogens, such as drugs, chemicals and infections, while you’re pregnant can cause birth defects. Some medications are also teratogens and may be harmful if taken at particular times during pregnancy.
If you’re pregnant and don’t know it yet, by drinking alcohol or taking drugs or medication like Accutane, you might accidentally expose your baby to a higher risk for birth defects.
Learn more about birth defects and how you can help prevent them from occuring in your family:
Oncofertility refers to an interdisciplinary and interprofessional approach to developing and providing new fertility preservation options to young men, women and children who have been diagnosed with cancer or other serious diseases and who must undergo potentially fertility-threatening treatment.
- Pregnant, with cancer: An agonizing decision (Julie Deardorff, Chicago Tribune, August 16, 2009) follows one woman and her family as they try to balance a desperately wanted pregnancy and aggressive ovarian cancer.
- The Oncofertility Consortium is a national, interdisciplinary initiative designed to explore the reproductive future of cancer survivors. It aims to address the complex health care and quality-of-life issues that concern young cancer patients whose fertility may be threatened by their disease or its treatment. The site features content for patients, physicians and researchers.
- Join the Center on Monday, October 19 for our "Survive and Thrive: BRCA Previvors Learning Alliance" program. Oncofertility expert Theresa Woodruff, MD, will discuss cutting edge technology for preserving your fertility while reducing your cancer risk.
Recommendations from Professional Medical Societies
Visit our collection of Advocacy and Policy Links to connect with professional medical societies such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Society of Human Genetics. These organizations issue best practice recommendations and position statements that draw on their collective medical and scientific knowledge to serve the health of the individual. Some important statements from professional medical societies include:
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