Umbilical Cord Blood Banking

What is umbilical cord blood banking?

A user-pay option for parents-to-be to store stem cells from the umbilical cord at birth. These cells can be cryopreserved as a form of “biological insurance”. They could be used at some time in the future, if necessary, to replace bone marrow destroyed by disease, radiation or chemotherapy. Stem cells are responsible for producing all blood cells.

Umbilical cord blood banking is a relatively new option for expectant couples. At this time, stem cells can be used to treat non-malignant diseases such as aplastic, sickle-cell or Fanconi’s anemia, ADA deficiency, Hunter’s syndrome, B-thalassemia, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, leukemia, Hurler’s syndrome, and x-linked lymphoproliferative disease. Stem cells can also be used to treat some malignant diseases such as Hodgkin’s disease, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, acute lymphocytic or myelocytic leukemia, and JCML-juvenile myelogenous. As more is known about stem cells, they may be used to treat other medical conditions.

What do I do if I want to consider cord blood banking?

Banking umbilical cord blood is an individual choice and responsibility. You should contact one of the cord blood programs listed in this brochure prior to 28 weeks gestation for information or to register. Each program has its own guidelines for prenatal blood testing, obtaining the collection kit, and payment. Please note that all of these programs have an initial fee and annual premiums.

Only the Alberta Cord Blood Bank, a public bank, provides a collection service at no charge. This agency does not allow umbilical cord blood to be stored for individual use.

If you choose cord blood banking, it is your responsibility to obtain the kit, prenatal blood work and to facilitate blood collection at the birth (talk to your care provider). It is also your responsibility to arrange for the umbilical blood collected to be sent to the cord blood program.

What testing is involved?

Most of the cord blood programs require prenatal blood work prior to umbilical cord blood collection. Maternal blood may be tested for HIV, HTLV (human T-cell lymphotrophic virus), hepatitis B & C, cytomegalovirus, and syphilis. This generally means five 10 ml tubes of blood. It takes two to three weeks for the results.

Some programs may accept the results of prenatal bloodwork done by your midwife or other care provider. You will need to talk to the cord blood program about their criteria for blood collection. Maternal blood collection specifically for the cord blood program is not done by your midwife.

How is the umbilical cord blood collected?

Following the baby’s birth and collection of umbilical cord gases (as required by hospital protocols), umbilical cord blood is collected by the midwife in a special bag provided by the cord blood program. You must bring this collection kit to the birth and inform the midwife that you plan cord blood collection.

Collection takes approximately five minutes and involves early cord clamping (separation of the baby from the placenta shortly after birth). Collection of sufficient blood cannot be guaranteed. Umbilical cord blood collection is generally not possible if the baby is born by cesarean section.

It is your responsibility to make arrangements for the collected blood to be picked up and forwarded to the cord blood program for storage.

Canadian Cord Blood Collection Programs

The information below is believed to be current. But contact the program directly to confirm rates and procedures.
There may be a hospital fee for collecting the blood.
Ask about other costs associated with obtaining and returning the collection kits (courier fees, etc.)

Alberta Cord Blood Bank

(public bank)

Suite 780, Extension Centre
8303 112 Street
Edmonton AB T6G 2T4

Phone 780-492-2673; 780-492-8704 (fax)

e-mail: info@acbb.ca (general); medical@acbb.ca (medical)

website: www.acbb.ca/ACBBmain.htm

register by 30 weeks
covers all costs associated with cord blood banking for public use only
family blood banking available only for siblings with conditions known to be treatable with stem cells

Life Bank Cryogenics

Broadway Pacific Plaza, Suite 301
1338 West Broadway
Vancouver BC V6H 1H2

Phone: 1-888-888-7836;

website: www.lifebank.com

Costs: (click here for full fee schedule)
- kit & registration: $155
- blood processing and cryopreservation: $695
- Air Canada Courier: varies
- annual storage fee: $125

- Can register late in pregnancy
- maternal infectious disease testing done postpartum

Cord Blood Bank of Canada

7030 Woodbine Avenue #500
Markham, ON L3R 6G2

Phone: (905) 943-4933

website: www.cordbloodbankofcanada.com

Note: The website may not be working properly. Call the company directly for more information.

Inception BioSciences Inc.
(formerly The Toronto Cord Blood Programme)

1620 Tech Avenue
Unit# 1
Mississauga, Ontario
L4W 5P4

Telephone: 905-206-2790
Fax: 905-206-2797
info@insception.com
Website: www.insception.com

Costs:

See the company's website for the latest fees.