A köldökzsinór elvágásának ideje: Vita az ossejtkutatásban

Progress in the field of stem cell research has generated a veriety of new ethical and legal problems in the United States. Some hotly debated issues relate to the opportunity of harvesting stem cells from the placental blood immediately after delivery. The optimum time for cutting the umbilical cord is widely assumed to be different from the point of view of the child and from that of the cord bank seeking the maximum obtainable blood volume. The article draws attention to the fact that relatively little is known about the circumstances where the neonate benefits from increases or reduced blood volume. Besides, the direction of the feto-placental blood transfer is subject to the forces of gravity. The effect of the latter is generally different in vaginal and abdominal deliveries. Consequently, the often emotionally charged dispute with regard to the optimum time of cord clamping for the purpose of fetal blood banking rests upon relatively limited scientific basis. The appropriate timing of omphalotomy requires, therefore, further investigation.