Information for Clients
How do I register and store cord blood?
Enrollment
In order to bank your baby’s cord blood, you will need to submit a registration form and fee early enough to receive your collection kit before giving birth. We find that registering before the end of the 36th week of pregnancy facilitates this, although later registrations may also be considered.
Once you have registered for private cord blood storage, you will be sent a collection kit to take with you to the hospital at the time of your delivery. When the cord blood has been collected, you will need to provide two tubes of maternal blood for testing. Once all of the necessary blood has been collected and packaged, the kit can be returned to us via the courier of your choice. Instructions for where to send the package can be found inside the collection box.
Payment
How much will it cost?
The Canadian Cord Blood bioRepository charges a fee for cord blood storage and associated services. We accept prepayment for long-term storage for up to 20 years, thereby reducing up-front costs and allowing for future innovations in the science of cord blood storage.
CCBR Fee Schedule – Singleton Birth (PDF)
CCBR Fee Schedule – Twin Births (PDF)
Shipping
Many families who sign up to store cord blood privately find themselves concerned about the shipping arrangements for their collected cord blood unit. The Canadian Cord Blood bioRepository is unable to arrange the return shipping for our clients. Instead, we offer clients the opportunity to select and use the courier of their choice to send the cord blood to us.
Once the cord blood has been collected and placed into the return shipping box you will need to contact your chosen Courier Company to arrange for the transportation of the cord blood to:
Canadian Cord Blood bioRepository
18228 102 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB T5S 1S7
Some companies may require arrangements to have been made ahead of time. In the interests of efficient shipping and safety of the cord blood sample, we suggest that clients contact their chosen courier at several days to a week ahead of time.
Once the courier has picked up the cord blood unit, clients should call 1-888-818-2673 or our local contact number, 780-439-8606. These numbers are for use during regular business hours to notify the CCBR that the cord blood has been shipped. After hours, weekends and holidays, please call our alternate, weekend contact number provided in the collection kit.
Self-Delivery
If you are in our local area and you are not using a courier company to deliver the collected cord blood to our laboratory, please apply the laboratory address label and the “Perishable/Time Sensitive” label to the top of the shipping box for delivery.
Have a designated person take the cord blood to the front desk at 18228 102 Avenue, Edmonton.
It is important not to leave the box unattended. Please ensure that someone has the box before leaving.
If the baby is born late in the evening or very early in the morning, it is OK to take the collected cord blood home with you and keep the box at room temperature until it can be delivered to the lab. We accept deliveries between 8:30am and 4:30pm from Monday through Friday and between 9:30am and 1:30pm on Saturdays.
Handling the Collection Kit
Please ship the cord blood and maternal blood samples as soon as possible following the collection. Hold the cord blood at room temperature at all times. The return shipping box comes with labels affixed indicating that the cord blood should be kept at room temperature at all times, please ensure that these labels remain on the box for return shipment.
Cancellation Policy
Umbilical cord blood storage services cannot be terminated by ceasing payment of the yearly storage fees. In order to terminate your storage contract with the Canadian Cord Blood bioRepository you will need to notify us with a notarized letter signed by all guardians (parents) of the child at least 30 days prior to your next billing date. Please be aware that the stored cord blood unit may be transferred to the public sector or destroyed in the event of cancellation.