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Paper short abstract:

A case-study involving first-time parents and their decision-making process on the preservation of the umbilical cord stem cells focuses on how they handle scientific notions, perceive private and public banks, project the decision in the future and ponder the uncertainty and the emotions attached.

Paper long abstract:

In a context of no consensus among specialists, when their children are born, parents must decide if they want the umbilical cord cells cryopreserved in a private bank, donated to a public bank or discarded as waste and that decision is based upon complex scientific notions.

We intend to show how parents make this decision: how they handle scientific notions and the opinion of specialists, how they perceive private and public banks, how they project this decision in the future and how they ponder the uncertainty and the emotions attached.

Based on the theoretical principles of public understanding of science and the concepts of trust, risk and public uptake of science, a qualitative study was conducted, consisting of interviews with couples, parents for the first time, with different qualifications in life sciences and that made different decisions. The WebPages of the private banks were also analyzed.

The results show us that this decision is multidimensional, involving emotional and financial factors, as well as the scientific arguments. Parents value scientific knowledge and the experts, although they are sceptical of the information provided by the private banks. The qualifications in life sciences seem to have a determinant role in this decision-making process so that the decision is made by the element of the couple more qualified in this area. The results also suggest that, when facing an uncertain future, "faith" in the development of science and technology is important for the parents that chose to cryopreserve their child's cells.