We’re kicking off March with National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. Since 2006, National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month has been dedicated to growing research and creating positive long-term outcomes for those living with Cerebral Palsy through awareness and education. To help bring positivity and inclusivity to people living with Cerebral Palsy, advocates are wearing green and using hashtags like #GoGreen4CP on social media all month long.
Understanding Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy (also known as CP) is the most common childhood disability. It characterizes a group of disorders that influence a person’s movement, posture, and coordination. The word ‘cerebral’ relates to the brain, and ‘palsy’ relates to having muscle weakness. About 2-3 out of 1,000 children in the United States have Cerebral Palsy.
All people who have cerebral palsy have trouble with walking and motor skills, but the severity of symptoms and types of Cerebral Palsy vary. Other conditions that people with Cerebral Palsy might have are cognitive disability, epilepsy, vision, hearing, or speech problems.
What causes cerebral palsy? Cerebral palsy is a result of when the brain develops abnormally or damage is caused to it before it’s finished developing before, during, or shortly after birth. The majority of cases are congenital, meaning damage was caused before or during delivery.
Many times, the cause of Cerebral Palsy is unknown. Doctors believe a variety of different factors can lead to issues with brain development, including mutations in genes, maternal or infant infections, stroke, bleeding in the brain, head injury, or lack of oxygen.
Cerebral Palsy is diagnosed early on in life through diagnostic testing and brain imaging when a child begins missing critical developmental milestones. The most common sign a child might have Cerebral Palsy is if they struggle with motor or movement milestones.
Treatment Options for Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy is a lifelong disability, and there is no cure. Because it varies in type and severity, individualized treatment plans can help improve the quality of life for people living with Cerebral Palsy.
Options may include surgery, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and equipment to help them move about and communicate. Certain medications can help people with pain management and muscle stiffness.
Looking Ahead to New Treatment Options
Through ongoing research and clinical trials, we are seeing new possible treatment options that may help improve the quality of life for people with Cerebral Palsy, including the use of umbilical cord blood. What is cord blood? Cord blood is the blood that remains inside of the baby’s umbilical cord after they’re born. It contains a rich source of stem cells that have unique properties to heal and repair the body.
Because of their unique abilities, the use of cord blood stem cells is being researched in regenerative medicine for a variety of conditions, including Cerebral Palsy. In regenerative medicine, stem cells are used to stimulate the body’s repair mechanisms to replace and repair damaged cells.
A Phase II clinical trial completed at Duke University used cord blood stem cells to treat children with Cerebral Palsy. The study was made up of 63 children who used their own cord blood. Results showed that both brain connectivity and motor function improved when kids received an adequate dose of their own cord blood. Not only were these results encouraging, but many ViaCord families also participated in this study, including the Rooney family. Their story was featured in the news, which you can watch below.
New Hope for Children with Cerebral Palsy
Among other ongoing research, this research gives families who have children with Cerebral Palsy hope for a better quality of life. Additional clinical trials are now underway to determine the safety of using a sibling’s cord blood to treat Cerebral Palsy. This innovative research is an exciting and encouraging development for families and a significant milestone in the evolution of cord blood use. In the future, there is hope that cord blood stem cells will be yet another accessible option for many to use in treatment, especially for children with Cerebral Palsy.
To learn more about the potential of cord blood treatments for Cerebral Palsy, visit our website. For the latest clinical trials using cord blood, visit clinicaltrials.gov.
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Disclaimer: Banking cord blood does not guarantee that treatment will work, and only a doctor can determine when it can be used. PerkinElmer does not endorse or make recommendations with respect to research, medication, or treatments. All information presented is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.
References:
CDC. What is Cerebral Palsy? https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/facts.html
Mayo Clinic. Cerebral Palsy. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cerebral-palsy/symptoms-causes/syc-20353999
Stem Cell Journals. Effect of Autologous Cord Blood Infusion on Motor Function and Brain Connectivity in Young Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized, Placebo‐Controlled Trial. https://stemcellsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/sctm.17-0102
