Who really owns the umbilical cord ? If you’ve never wondered, the parents of a two-year-old girl did it for you by filing a priority constitutional question (QPC). The parents would have liked to keep the umbilical cord after the birth of their baby girl rather than giving it to the hospital where it is considered waste.
The QPC filed aims to defend the right of the child to keep his umbilical cord. The interest? This may be in order, for example to “keep it in a cord blood bank, as there are abroad, as in Switzerland, for future use,” said AFP. parents’ lawyer. “The blood contained in the cord, half of the genetic heritage of the mother and half of that of the father,” is an integral part of the property of the child “, pleads the lawyer.
Legal vagueness
Problem, to date in France, the umbilical cord is not framed by any statute. The mother is informed during her pregnancy of the possibility of donating umbilical cord blood. This contains blood stem cells that can help treat certain diseases. If she decides to donate umbilical cord blood, she signs a written consent for an anonymous and free donation.
In the case of the parents who initiated the QPC, they felt they lacked information about this donation. If the mother signed a consent to donate at the hospital, she claimed to have signed a pre-filled form without the possibility of revocation.
Will parents succeed in asserting the child’s right to his umbilical cord? Justice will have to decide.
>> To read also:Keep the umbilical cord a scam or not?
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Pregnancy: what is the umbilical cord used for?
