Doctors condemn storing of umbilical-cord blood

“There is no scientific evidence to prove that using umbilical-cord blood can treat chronic disease or illness at a later date,” the council’s president Dr Somsak Lohlekha said.
Currently a number of private cord-blood banks provide the service of storing the blood from newborn babies for fees ranging from Bt6,000 to Bt100,000 per year.
Allegedly, obstetricians at state hospitals are asked frequently by the banks to save the blood for their customers. Some have allegedly been offered bribes to undergo these medical practices for them.
“[There’s no point in keeping] your kid’s umbilical cord blood in storage, even if you keep it for 20 years,” he said.
At present, the Medical Council of Thailand only approves the use of stem-cell treatment for blood diseases like leukaemia, malignant lymphoma, aplastic anaemia, multiple myeloma and thalassemia.
Somsak said the council would soon hold a press conference warning the public about the futility of using an umbilical cord-blood bank.

Control on false advertising
The council will also control advertising to lure patients into receiving unlicensed stem-cell treatment for illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes or for aesthetic purposes.
It said the practice has become popular among celebrities and rich people who can afford the treatment, which can cost anything from Bt100,000 to Bt1 million.
It said there are many private clinics, especially in Bangkok, targeting patients with ads for unlicensed stem cell-therapy. Some private clinics offer a package tour for patients to fly to Germany and receive stem-cell injections extracted from unborn sheep that they believe will improve their health and make them look younger.
“We are now collecting more and more evidence to take legal action against physicians or agencies providing such treatment as it could put patients at risk from complications,” he said.