A MEDICAL expert has warned that Irish parents are being "left behind" by hospitals' failure to collect stem cells at birth.

And maternity hospitals should relax their opposition to the preservation of stem cells collected from the umbilical cords of newborns, another stem cell researcher has advised.

Stem cells are regarded as a powerful weapon in the fight against serious childhood diseases such as leukaemia and immunodeficiency conditions.

Colin McGuckin, professor of regenerative medicine at the Institute of Human Genetics in Newcastle University urged the HSE to change its stance.

Visiting Dublin as a guest of Medicare, he said he wanted people in Ireland "to start taking stem cells seriously."

"Ireland has been left behind in the stem cell field. In Greece, up to 18.5pc of people preserve stem cells while this figure stands at 12pc in Spain and 8pc in Portugal," Prof McGuckin said.

"In Ireland, this figure stands at around 0.0001pc. There isn't any regulation against preservation but it's not being encouraged either.

regulation

"This policy is preventing people from being helped."

Prof McGuckin met officials from the Department of Health yesterday whom he said were not "dismissive" of the potential of stem cell preservation.

A spokesperson for the HSE said hospitals do not support umbilical cord blood retrieval unless it has been requested by the Blood Transfusion Service Board for treatment of a particular medical condition.

"There is insufficient scientific research to support the practice of taking routine cord blood for stem cell retrieval considering the implications involved in undertaking the actual procedure," the spokesperson said.

Professor Frank Barry from NUI Galway's Regenerative Medicine Institute backed up Prof McGuckin's calls for more stem cell collection from umbilical cords.

"There has been a tendency to overstate the potential of the stem cell, saying that it can be used against liver disease and spinal cord injury and the like.

"But research is showing that the cells are very powerful in fighting childhood immunodeficiency diseases and leukaemia.

"In this country, obstetricians won't allow the removal and storage unless there is a specific family need such as a sibling with such an illness.

"These restrictions need to be relaxed," Prof Barry said.

STORAGE

He cited the need for rigorous research into stem cell therapy here and storage facilities.

Stem cells are capable of turning into other cells including liver, skin and red blood cells.

A newborn's umbilical cord is a rich source of stem cells and private companies here have been offering to remove and store the cells.

Medicare offers stem cell preservation at private clinics in Dublin and Kilkenny.

- Sarah Neville