Cord Blood Program

Biological Insurance for Your Child

Southlake Regional Health Centre supports patients who wish to participate in a Cord Blood Program.  These programs offer parents the opportunity to retrieve and store stem cells for possible future use, should their child develop a serious health problem.

Umbilical Cord Source of Stem Cells

In a newborn's umbilical cord, a high concentration of stem cells are contained within cord blood. Stems cells are the basic units in bone marrow responsible for producing all blood cells: red cells to carry oxygen, white cells to fight infection and platelets to help the blood clot.  Immediately after the birth, the blood is collected from the portion of the cord that remains with the placenta with no pain or risk to the baby. 

How Stem Cells are Used

Stem cells can be used in patients requiring bone marrow transplants; for fighting diseases such as leukemia, malignant lymphoma or neuroblastoma.  The stem cells from cord blood may also provide a better match for siblings or parents of the newborn than an unrelated adult donor match.

The choice to bank stem cells is made well in advance of labour. If you are interested in the Program  we encourage you to speak with your doctor.

Cord Blood Programs

Cells for Life
Markham Stouffville Health Centre
Markham, Ontario
(905) 472-0060
www.cellsforlife.com

Insception Biosciences (formerly known as The Toronto Cord Blood Programme)
1620 Tech Ave, Unit #1
Mississauga, ON
L4W 5P4
1-866-606-2790
www.insception.com

Viacord
Boston, USA
1-800-998-4226

Lifebank
1-888-888-7836
http://www.lifebank.com

For information on resources available to you during your hospital visit or stay (for example: parking, what to bring, discharge times and other helpful information) please click on Patients and Visitors.