The Human Tissue Authority have published a cord blood banking guide for parents in the UK. But who are the HTA and why have they created this guide?

The Human Tissue Authority

The HTA regulate organisations in the UK that remove, store and use human tissue for research, medical treatment, post-mortem examination, education and training, and display in public ^[1]. Since 2008 the Human Tissue Authority has regulated cord blood banks in the UK, both public and private. Their role covers the regulation of collection, testing, processing, storage, distribution, import and export of cord blood ^[2]. For cord blood banks to operate in the UK, they must acquire a license from the HTA.  For a cord blood bank to operate without one would be unlawful.

HTA Guide to Cord Blood Banking

The HTA have written this guide to empower parents with the ability to make informed decisions about cord blood banking. The guide covers consent, safety, and quality as its core messages. In addition to these core messages, the guide also provides questions to ask private cord blood banks and answers some frequently asked questions. As the guide is written by the industry regulator, it gives parents access to an unbiased resource.

Read it here!

For parents who want more information about storing their baby’s cord blood stem cells there is information through-out the Cord Blood Aware website. NHSBT and Anthony Nolan also have further information about cord blood donation and which hospitals are able to facilitate cord blood donations. Many private banks also have their question and answer pages that offer a more in depth guide to private banking – Cells4Life has a comprehensive Stem Cell Storage FAQ page that covers length of storage and payment options.

When choosing to bank your baby’s cord blood having the right information is absolutely essential. Cord Blood Aware welcomes the publication of this guide to help parent’s make the right decision for their family.

^{[1] https://www.hta.gov.uk/about-us
[2] https://www.hta.gov.uk/guidance-public/cord-blood-banking-guide-parents/htas-role-cord-blood-banking}