Public Cord Blood Bank

New partner hospitals stand out

Montreal, May 7, 2009 – Thanks to the continued commitment of its seven partner hospitals, the Héma-Québec Public Cord Blood Bank is rapidly expanding. Since early 2009, the three newest members of the network have performed exceptionally well. Their combined registration numbers account for half of the Public Cord Blood Bank’s annual registration objective.

Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé in Laval, Hôpital Saint-François-d’Assise (CHUQ) and Centre mère-enfant (CHUQ), both located in Quebec City, shined by respectively obtaining 668, 451 and 416 registrations with the Public Cord Blood Bank, for a total of 1,535 registrations between January and April 2009 alone.

Expectant mothers planning to give birth at Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé in Laval, Hôpital Saint François-d’Assise (CHUQ) and Centre mère-enfant (CHUQ) have had the opportunity to register with the Héma-Québec Public Cord Blood Bank for several months now. When they sign up, the attending physician provides expectant mothers with an information kit that includes a health questionnaire and consent form, which are then forwarded to Héma Québec to complete the registration process.

“We salute the participating mothers and the partner hospitals for their commitment to the Public Cord Blood Bank, which is a collective resource. Their spirit of giving will help improve treatments primarily for children with malignant blood diseases, such as leukemia and anemia, and malfunctioning bone marrow. Used occasionally in adults, in many cases, cord blood transplants can save lives,” said Dr. Francine Décary, Héma-Québec President and Chief Executive Officer.

Long considered biological waste, umbilical cord blood is now recognized as a valuable source of stem cells—cells responsible for producing red and white blood cells and platelets. With the consent of mothers who have registered with the Bank, cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord after the birth of the child, once the cord has been cut. This type of collection poses no danger to either the mother or child.

Who can participate?
Expectant mothers who are in good health, are over 18 years of age and are planning to give birth at one of the seven partner hospitals can register with the Héma-Québec Public Cord Blood Bank. The seven hospitals include: St. Mary’s Hospital, CHU mère-enfant Sainte Justine, Royal Victoria Hospital, Centre mère enfant (CHUQ), Hôpital de le Cité de la Santé in Laval, LaSalle Hospital Centre and Hôpital Saint-François-d’Assise (CHUQ). To register or to obtain more information, call 1-800-565-6635, extension 253, or go to the Stem Cells section on Héma-Québec’s website (www.hema-quebec.qc.ca).

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