What is cord blood banking?
Cord blood banking involves collecting blood left in your newborn's umbilical cord and placenta and storing it for future medical use. Cord blood contains potentially lifesaving cells called stem cells (the stem cells in cord blood are different from embryonic stem cells). Collecting cord blood for donation is safe and painless for you and your child, because it's done after the umbilical cord is cut.
For cord blood storage, you have two main options:
- You can donate your baby's cord blood to a public cord blood bank for anyone who needs it. Donating cord blood to a public bank is free.
- You can pay to store your baby's cord blood in a private cord blood bank for your family's use. Private banks typically charge around $1,000-$2,000 for the collection and around $100-$200 a year for storage.
Below is a list of links to various private and public cord blood banks:
Inception Lifebank Information
Create Cord Blood Bank Information
Cells for Life Cord Blood Information
Cord Blood Bank of Canada Information
Please note that not all birthing centres including the Queensway Carleton Hospital Childbirth Program are designated sites for collection of cord blood for public banks. Ask your healthcare provider for more information.