The newest trend in personal health is the banking of umbilical cord blood to preserve a baby’s stem cells. Parents are banking the blood in case their children later develop a disease that can be treated with stem cells. Which statements represent ethical issues that might be associated with banking this blood in private banks instead of public? Check all that apply.

All five statements describe potential ethical concerns with private cord-blood banking. Keeping blood in a private bank can make it unavailable to public patients, while complicated consent terms may raise questions about who controls it; inconsistent regulation can also leave families uncertain about protections. A child’s chance of needing their own stored blood is low, whereas a matching donation could help someone else, and critics argue that private banks may exploit parents’ hopes or fears to make a profit.

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