Table 4 Key findings and implications for future research

Key findings

 • Obstetricians, midwives and maternity nurses self-reported sound levels of knowledge of general cord blood usage and processes involved, however deficiencies were revealed once specific, more detailed information was required

 • Main information source was private cord blood bank company materials

 • Obstetricians, midwives and maternity nurses desired more evidence-based, non-biased information on CBB

 • Obstetricians, midwives and maternity nurses perceived an important role was to provide expectant parents with information to make informed decisions

 • Obstetricians held a positive attitude toward CBB and collection and perceived it required minimal extra work outside usual role. Many midwives and maternity nurses did not share this view, and perceived it as interfering with their primary role with some support for public, but not private, cord blood collection and storage

Implications for further research

 • Health care professionals, such as obstetricians and midwives, are perceived to be the most credible providers of information regarding CB collection and storage, yet report their key information source as private cord blood collection company adverts and resources

 • Each study in this review utilised a different data collection instrument, which was often poorly described, yielding variant results, with little ability to compare between studies

 • Small, convenience samples were predominantly utilised in review studies minimising generalisability of findings

 • Knowledge tested was self-reported by participants

 • Urgent need to address knowledge deficiencies and explore underlying attitudes of health care providers, given vast advances occurring in stem cell research