September 2009 - Posts

• Ohio Senate Should Be Encouraged to Vote on Bi-Partisan Cord Blood Education Bill

  Posted: Sep 18, 2009

  Expectant parents in Ohio could soon benefit from better information about their options to preserve the stem cells in their baby’s umbilical cord blood if the state Senate passes a well-supported, bi-partisan education bill that has already been passed by the House.     House Bill 102 would require the Ohio Department of Health to provide cord blood banking information and encourage health care professionals to educate parents about the options to preserve the stem cells for family use or donate them for public use.   Similar legislation has already been enacted in 17 other states, yet despite recent legislative advances, published research shows that three out of every four pregnant women consider themselves only “minimally informed” about their cord blood banking options.     Cord blood education is good health policy.  In 2004, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recommended that all pregnant women be educated about cord blood stem cells early enough in pregnancy for them to make an informed decision about the options to preserve these valuable cells.  If you live in Ohio, you can make a difference! Contact your state senator and ask them to support Ohio House Bill 102. You can find information about your state senator and other key senate leaders at www.senate.state.oh.us/senators/. With your help, we can help ensure that more pregnant women receive information about the value of their baby’s cord blood stem cells and their options for preserving them. Have feedback? Tags: cord blood, stem cells, umbilical cord blood, House bill 102, Ohio, Ohio Department of Health

• CBR Supports Stem Cell Awareness Day!

  Posted: Sep 02, 2009

  On September 23rd, organizations around the world dedicated to advancing stem cell science and regenerative therapies will come together to mark Stem Cell Awareness Day. The Day is an opportunity to celebrate the progress we’ve made in regenerative medicine and to look ahead toward the advances still to come. With its rich supply of stem cells, umbilical cord blood plays a significant role in furthering stem cell research.  If you’d like to get involved, there are several ways to mark the day and show your support of stem cell research: • Have a way with words? Then consider entering a stem cell poetry contest sponsored by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in honor of Stem Cell Awareness Day. To participate, submit your poem to stemcellday@cirm.ca.gov before the September 14 deadline.  • Get involved with events and activities held in your area. You can find a list of events by location at www.stemcellday.com. • Tell a pregnant friend about the medial value of umbilical cord blood stem cells and how they’ve been saving lives for over 20 years and have been used in the treatment of nearly 80 serious diseases, including leukemia, other cancers, and blood disorders. By spreading the word, you can help advance stem cell science. To learn more about Stem Cell Awareness Day, visit www.stemcellday.com. Have feedback? Tags: cord blood, regenerative medicine, stem cells, umbilical cord blood, stem cell awareness day, CIRM