Need and Benefits of Umbilical Cord Blood Banking to cure Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is considered a neurological disorder caused by a non-progressive brain injury or malformation that occurs while the baby’s brain is under development. Current treatment centers on the alleviation of symptoms to make cerebral palsy more manageable and does not offer a permanent cure. Infusion of stem cells preserved through umbilical cord blood banking is a proven cure for cerebral palsy and provides permanent relief to the patients.

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy refers to a group of disorders that affect movement. It is permanent, but not unchanging, physical disability caused by an injury to the developing brain, usually before birth. Cerebral palsy primarily affects body movement and muscle coordination.

Causes:

For most babies born with cerebral palsy, the cause remains unknown. For a long time, it was believed that cerebral palsy was due to complications at birth, including asphyxia (lack of oxygen). Now, it is generally accepted that cerebral palsy usually arises from a series of events that can lead to an injury in a baby’s developing brain.
In 13 out of 14 cases of cerebral palsy in India, the brain injury leading to cerebral palsy occurs either in the uterus (while the mother is pregnant) or before 1 month of age.

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Risk Factors

  1. Premature birth
  2. Low birth weight (small for gestational age)
  3. Blood clotting problems (thrombophilia)
  4. Inability of the placenta to provide the developing foetus with oxygen and nutrients
  5. RH or A-B-O blood type incompatibility between mother and baby
  6. Prolonged loss of oxygen during the pregnancy or birthing process, or severe jaundice shortly after birth.

Prevalence of Cerebral Palsy in India

According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimation, 10% of the global population has some form of disability due to different causes; in India, it is 3.8% of the population. Nearly 15-20% of the total physically handicapped children suffer from Cerebral Palsy (CP). For India, the estimated incidence is around 3/1000 live births; however, being a developing country, the expected actual figure may be much higher.

Cure of Cerebral Palsy – Stem Cell Transplant

Injection of umbilical cord blood stem cells can help protect or repair damaged nerve cells. Umbilical cord blood stem cells can be collected from the umbilical cord shortly after birth. They are currently being used as a potential treatment for cerebral palsy and are able to support the recovery of damaged nerve cells by releasing substances that stimulate the body’s own repair systems.

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Considering the high incidence of cerebral palsy in India and curative uses of umbilical cord blood stem cells, it is evident that umbilical cord blood banking is important. Babycell is one of the best cord blood banks in India and uses a sophisticated Double Sedimentation Spin (DSS) Technology for the preservation of umbilical cord blood stem cells.