Treating CP With Your Child's Own Blood

According to an LA Times article, umbilical-cord blood may be used in an experimental therapy to help children with cerebral palsy. Two-year-old Dallas Hextell underwent an experimental treatment as part of a clinical trial at Duke University that utilized an infusion of blood from his own umbilical cord. Doctors believe that stem cells in cord blood can be used to stimulate growth and possible regeneration of damaged tissues.

Similar procedures are performed on patients with cancer and other genetic conditions; however, in those cases the cord blood is taken from a parent or sibling. This requires the patient to be treated with chemotherapy in order to prevent the immune system from rejecting the foreign blood cells. In CP cases like Hextell's, chemotherapy is considered to be too risky. That is why researchers chose to use blood taken from his umbilical cord.

Thus far, Dallas and one other child from the Duke clinical trial have shown dramatic improvements from the experimental treatment. While researchers want to emphasize that this treatment is not a "cure," many believe this is an exciting breakthrough.

Cerebral palsy is a condition that affects many infants. Birth injuries are a rare but major cause of this condition and can be a result of medical mistakes during delivery. If you suspect that birth injury or medical negligence could have played a part in your child's cerebral palsy, call a cerebral palsy attorney at 1-800-ATTORNEY or contact us online to discuss whether or not you may have a case.