ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that in spite of the trend towards acknowledging 'cord blood's worth', the ability to choose to 'do something good' with the cells, as opposed to simply throwing them away at birth, is severely restricted and fails to offer pregnant women any real choice. The chapter provides an overview of the public and private banking systems in the UK before exploring the contrasting ideologies of altruism and self-interest within the provision of healthcare, and the ethical implications they pose for expectant families. Through the contextualization of Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB) storage and use within the resource allocation debate, the chapter identifies UCB as a resource that is best stored for public use and concludes in the environment where it is suggested that the 'dual banking' model may provide an ethical alternative to the public versus private banking options.
