165 opted to store cord blood last year

The number of parents opting to collect and store their babies' cord blood rose to 165 last year, figures given in Parliament show.

Social Policy Minister John Dalli said the government had no plans to offer incentives for couples to store the cord blood of their babies, however when so requested, medical staff helped collect the cord blood during deliveries, in a regulated manner with the companies authorised to offer such services.

The cord blood is then stored abroad. No requests have been made by any local company to start storing cord blood in Malta.

Cord blood is the blood found in the umbilical cord. It is said to help in the treatment of many types of devastating illnesses including leukaemia and Hodgkin's lymphoma and blood and immune system genetic disorders.

The minister gave the following statistics.