Cord Blood Banking
What is It?
Cord blood banking is the removal of stem cells from the baby’s umbilical cord blood after the
baby has been born. The cord blood is then sent to a laboratory to be stored for future use,
should your baby or a family member require a stem cell transplant.
Cord blood banking in Ontario is done by a number of private companies and there is one public
bank supplied by donations of cord blood in Ontario (Victoria Angel Registry of Hope).
We are happy to play our role in the collection of your baby’s cord blood. It is important that
parents who choose to bank and store their baby’s cord blood understand the following:
● While we are competent in the collection of umbilical cord blood, midwives receive no special
training in this procedure
● Midwives will be responsible only for the collection of the cord blood itself, and any samples of
maternal blood, as required by the particular kit.
● It is the sole responsibility of the parents to prepare the collected blood and any associated
maternal blood samples for transport. This includes sealing the packages, proper labelling, and
any documentation required by the cord blood banking company. Each company has different
fees, procedures, labelling, documentation and packing requirements, and the parents are
responsible for understanding and meeting all of these requirements.
The health and safety of the mother and baby are paramount, and there may be urgent
situations in which it is not possible to collect the cord blood.
Donating your baby’s cord blood
Ontario has a public bank of cord blood that is supplied by donations of cord blood. This blood is
then used by patients as the need arises and when they find an appropriate match. You can learn
more about the public bank at:
Cellsforlife.com
What is It?
Cord blood banking is the removal of stem cells from the baby’s umbilical cord blood after the
baby has been born. The cord blood is then sent to a laboratory to be stored for future use,
should your baby or a family member require a stem cell transplant.
Cord blood banking in Ontario is done by a number of private companies and there is one public
bank supplied by donations of cord blood in Ontario (Victoria Angel Registry of Hope).
We are happy to play our role in the collection of your baby’s cord blood. It is important that
parents who choose to bank and store their baby’s cord blood understand the following:
● While we are competent in the collection of umbilical cord blood, midwives receive no special
training in this procedure
● Midwives will be responsible only for the collection of the cord blood itself, and any samples of
maternal blood, as required by the particular kit.
● It is the sole responsibility of the parents to prepare the collected blood and any associated
maternal blood samples for transport. This includes sealing the packages, proper labelling, and
any documentation required by the cord blood banking company. Each company has different
fees, procedures, labelling, documentation and packing requirements, and the parents are
responsible for understanding and meeting all of these requirements.
The health and safety of the mother and baby are paramount, and there may be urgent
situations in which it is not possible to collect the cord blood.
Donating your baby’s cord blood
Ontario has a public bank of cord blood that is supplied by donations of cord blood. This blood is
then used by patients as the need arises and when they find an appropriate match. You can learn
more about the public bank at:
Cellsforlife.com
