Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplant and Cerebral Palsy
Baby John was suffering from symptoms caused by a pediatric stroke. Thanks to his parents, Baby John was able to receive an umbilical stem cell transplant with the cord blood they saved.
From John's first day home as a newborn, there were hints that something was wrong. He screamed and cried, and slept too much. He also had feeding problems, at times not eating at all. When John was 3 months old, his mother, Danielle, noticed that his right arm hung stiffly at his side. His right hand was always clenched like a fist, unable to pick up a toy, and he seemed to be leaning to the left.
An MRI at 6 months revealed that John had had a stroke in utero and suffered extensive damage to the left side of his brain. With this terrible news, Danielle embarked on a long night of Internet research and found a pediatric stroke specialist in California who believed a cord blood transfusion might help John. The doctor told Danielle that Duke University was conducting a clinical study in which cord blood was being used to treat cerebral palsy.
John was accepted into the study and the family traveled to North Carolina. During their two-day visit to Duke, John received a transplant using half of the cord blood that had been stored when he was born.
Coming home from the airport with his family, John showed a sudden change for the better: he playfully put both arms over his head, something his mother says he'd never done before. Over time he was also able to sit up straight and spin around, and his right hand was open and functioning, changes that Danielle also attributes to a combination of the cord blood transfusion and physical therapy.
Recent photos show him eating corn on the cob using both hands and running gleefully to hug his mother with both arms.
Danielle says that cord blood banking "is like an insurance policy. If we hadn't saved it and then needed it, it would have been devastating."
Expectant parents can learn more about cord blood banking by contacting M.A.Z.E. Cord Blood Laboratories at (914) 683-0000 or visit the company on the Web at www.mazecordblood.com.
