Abstract
Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is an important source of stem cells, the heart of regenerative medicine. As the globalization and population of the world continues to increase, we are faced with an inundation of new diseases, affecting millions of people. Research work considering stem cells is essential for developing therapy for various conditions. Reduced availability of UCB serves as a hindrance to promote further research. Hence, India being one of the most densely populated countries in the world, can be considered a potential UCB repository. In this study 428 mothers of children born in the period from 2012 to 2017 were asked to fill questionnaires that evaluated their awareness regarding stem cell banking. This investigation deliberates if expectant mothers in this region are aware of stem cell banking and if there is a significant pattern regarding awareness based on parameters like age, educational qualification, locality, annual income and consulted hospitals. Although, majority of the women were unaware of this facility, knowledge was heightened in wealthy, educated, women from urban areas who consulted private hospitals. Hence, great efforts need to be made to further the awareness of expectant mothers in South India regarding UCB storage and donation.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Bharathiar University, for providing us the necessary equipment to conduct this research. We further thank the participants for answering all the questions put forth by us.
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All authors have contributed equally to this article. The study was conceptualized and designed by Dr. VB and Dr. JKR. Data was collected and compiled by RS, KA, AR, JK and Dr. CS. Statistical analysis was carried out by SM and JS. Drafting of the manuscript, tables were done by JK, RS, AR, KA, SM, JS and Dr. CS. The complete article was critically revised by JK, Dr. VB and Dr. JKR.
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Informed consent has been obtained from all the women who participated in the study.
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Rajendran, S., Kirubhakaran, A., Alaudheen, R. et al. Stem cell banking: Are South Indian mothers aware?. Cell Tissue Bank 19, 791–798 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10561-018-9735-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10561-018-9735-9