Cord Blood Basics

Cord blood is too valuable to waste.

Know your options.

As an expectant parent, you have 3 options regarding your newborn’s precious stem cells.

SAVE

Save your child’s cord blood stem cells for future use by your child or, potentially, a family member. Today, cord blood stem cells can be used to treat over 80 diseases, and have been used in more than 35,000 transplants worldwide to date.

Emerging research is expanding the list of diseases and conditions that may be treatable with cord blood, including:

• Autism
• Cerebral palsy
• Type 1 diabetes
• Acquired hearing loss
• Spinal cord injury

DONATE

Donations are available at limited hospitals with eligibility requirements. Canadian Blood Services, Hema-Quebec and Victoria’s Angels Cord Blood Registry accepts donations from women delivering at a number of sites in Canada. Please refer to the individual public bank’s websites for further information on where you can donate your baby’s cord blood. Your family is NOT guaranteed access to your donated cord blood should you ever need it.

THROW AWAY

Once discarded as medical waste, the cells that are a perfect match for your baby cannot be retrieved for future use.