Canadian Blood Services’ Cord Blood Bank

Making the decision to donate your baby’s cord blood is an important one.

Canadian Blood Services’ Cord Blood Bank is a national program that recruits healthy, volunteer parents delivering at one of four designated collection hospitals across the country. As it is a public cord blood bank, donated cord blood units are collected at no charge.

At any given time, there are hundreds of patients in Canada searching for a stem cell donor. If they are unable to find a match within their family, patients rely on unrelated volunteer donors. Stem cells can be derived from bone marrow, blood, or cord blood and can help in the treatment and cure of a wide variety of conditions.

Eligible blood stem cells from the umbilical cord and placenta are tested and stored at Canadian Blood Services’ Cord Blood Bank, and eligible units are available for any patient in Canada or world-wide in need of an unrelated stem cell transplant.

Thanks to donated cord blood, Celia’s newborn overcame a rare inherited illness

Just 14 weeks into her pregnancy, Celia learned that her second child would be born with the same rare, life-threatening disorder that she had lost their first child to. Thanks to the cord blood bank, Justin received a successful stem cell transplant at three weeks old and is now thriving as a healthy 15-year-old student.
 
“I always think about the cord blood donor who saved my life and I know I may never meet them,” says Justin, who loves to construct Pokémon characters with LEGO. “But I’m thankful that I am alive to be with my parents and that I can see how beautiful this world is.”

Read Celia and Justin’s story

Where to donate

Canadian Blood Services’ Cord Blood Bank collects at four hospitals: The Ottawa Hospital (General campus), William Osler Health System’s Brampton Civic Hospital, Lois Hole Hospital for Women in Edmonton and BC Women’s Hospital in Vancouver.

How to donate

Register online: As only one of four participating hospitals in Canada, expectant parents planning to deliver at The Ottawa Hospital General Campus, have the unique opportunity to register to donate cord blood to the Canadian Blood Services’ public cord blood bank

Tell hospital staff your plan to donate: On your delivery day, let your birthing team (nurse/midwife/physician) know about your intent to donate to the Canadian Blood Services Cord Blood Bank. Cord Blood Bank staff at the hospital will have your consent form on file.

Have your cord blood collected: After the safe delivery of your baby, a Cord Blood Bank team member will receive your placenta and collect the cord blood outside of the delivery room. It will then be tested to see if it qualifies for storage in the bank.

Cord blood collection is a safe and painless process that does not interfere with birth plans, including delayed cord clamping.Canadian Blood Services employees collect your cord blood after your baby and placenta have been delivered.

If your baby’s cord blood unit qualifies, a nurse will visit you to collect additional information before you leave the hospital which includes a second consent, blood work and a questionnaire.

Translation services

We offer free, board-certified interpreters and translators in Arabic, Punjabi and Chinese. If you prefer to communicate with us in a language other than English or French, email us at cordblood@blood.ca to request an interpreter or translation services. We require 6-8 weeks’ notice to ensure all required forms are completed and received before your due date.

To learn more, visit www.blood.ca/cordblood

Last updated on: March 13th, 2025