Cord blood donation

Blood from the umbilical cord can be collected after your child's birth and donated to the Public Cord Blood Bank to help someone who suffers from a serious illness. Since 2004, Héma-Québec manages the only public cord blood bank in Quebec. This is the first and only public umbilical cord blood bank in Canada. There are about 40 public cord blood banks worldwide.

This Bank aims to make stem cells from umbilical cord blood a collective resource and provide a of the utmost quality for patients waiting for a stem cell trasplant.  It provides access to stem cells, other than the bone marrow and peripheral blood, and is an integral part of the sem cell donor registry.

Cord blood is collected at Héma-Québec’s participating hospitals* with the authorization of mothers who registered with the bank during their pregnancy, before the 36th week.  Cord blood is collected after the birth of the child, when the umbilical cord is severed.  There is therefore, no sample taken directly from the newborn. This sample, less invasive than bone marrow stem cell donation, is safe for both the mother and the child. If umbilical cord blood is not taken, it is discarded as a biomedical waste, in the same way as the plcenta.  

The blood collected is then treated and tested in the laboratories where its safety and quality is ensured. If the cord blood donation perfectly meetss the standards, it is frozen and becomes available in the public registry. Cord blood has a lifespan of at least 10 years when frozen.

The cord blood donations that do not qualify for the bank; are kept at the CHU mère-enfant Sainte-Justine, at the Royal Victoria Hospital Clinical Research Cord Blood Bank and at the CHUQ mère-enfant Research Centre for research purposes if the mothers gave their.

Eligibility criteria for umbilical cord blood donation

Future mothers must be:

  • Healthly
  • Aged over 18
  • Pregnant with a single baby (no twins)
  • Registered before the 36th week of pregnancy
  • Know the medical and genetic history of their parents as well as those of baby's paterna
  • In addition, only patients who give birth at the following partner hospital centers can register
  • St. Mary’s Hospital 
  • CHU Sainte-Justine
  • Hospital Royal Victori
  • Hospital Cité de la Santé
  • LaSalle Hospital 
  • MUHC
  • Hospital Jewish General

3 step procedure:

1. REGISTRATION
Yu must completed the online registration form before your 36th week of pregnancy.
OR
Eligible pregnant women can register form by calling 1 800 565-6635 or 514 832-5000, ext. 5253. They can also send an email to sangdecordon@hema-quebec.qc.ca

2. THE SELECTION PROCESS
A nurse from Héma-Québec will contact you after your online registration, to complete a questionnaire with you, wich will take a few minutes.  

3. THE DONATION
The collection of umbilical cord blood requires 3 to 5 minutes and is safe for the child and the mother.  It is done after the bird of the chilld, once the umbilical cord is cut, but before placental expulsion. The mother and the child feel any effect. The collection of cord blood does not hinder the skin-to-skin between the mpther and the nesborn. Delayed clamping of the cord is still prioritized by the medical team.  We encourage you to discuss the procedure with your doctor at one of your pregnancy follow-up appointments.

For more information, visit the internet site hema-quebec.qc.ca