Unborn kids 'hold key to life'

Two unborn KwaZulu-Natal babies hold the key to possibly saving their sick siblings' lives.

When the babies are born, their umbilical cord blood will be harvested for the stem cells it contains, and then possibly used to treat their siblings' blood disease.

When this happens, the two will be among 13000 children in South Africa whose umbilical cord blood has been harvested and stored for stem cells. Umbilical cord blood contains haematopoietic stem cells that create new blood cells.

Stem cells are used to treat blood disorders and diseases such as leukaemia.

None of the 13000 whose stem cells have been harvested has ever developed a blood disease and needed the stem cells. But the harvested stem cells have occasionally been used for donors' siblings.

Stem cell harvesting costs up to R16 800.

Though some doctors insist parents should consider harvesting stem cells from their newborn baby's umbilical cords, others advise against it, saying clients will see little value from the procedure.

Gynaecologist Abdul Ismail, who encourages parents to consider the procedure, believes future research may show which other diseases can be treated with stem cells.

University of Pretoria's Professor Michael Pepper said the likelihood of a child needing stem cells from its own cord blood is low.

"From an ethical perspective, providing a service - which has a very low probability of ever being used - is questionable, especially if parents are charged for something they would not likely need or use for their child."

Instead, he said, the greatest need i s for a stem cell bank for the general population.

"Cord blood, which is rich in stem cells, would have a greater likelihood of being used if it would be publicly available.

"Far more people will benefit if everyone can access the resource."

Cryo-Save stem cell bank managing director Louis Rehrl - who claims the stem cell industry in South Africa is growing - said it will help the mothers of the two unborn babies to harvest cord blood for their siblings.

Both siblings have been diagnosed with a form of blood cancer or blood disorder. He refused to provide specific details because of patient confidentiality.

"This is being done with the hope it will be a tissue match and suitable for transplant in the place of a more complex and invasive bone marrow transplant.

"The likelihood of a sibling match from related cord blood is one in four, while finding a bone marrow donor match from an international registry is perhaps one in 100 000."

Rehrl said: "The practice should not be viewed as a magic bullet, but a future insurance policy."

"We do not know how stem cells will be used in future. Our children in 10 years' time may be looking at a new medical field. We have a futurist vision."