New Zealand Girl Infused With Cord Blood for Brain Injury
A five-year-old twin from New Zealand underwent an experimental umbilical cord blood treatment in the U.S. in an attempt to improve her outcome after she was affected with a form of cerebral palsy which left her brain damaged at birth. The little girl’s sister is healthy, but her brain injury has affected her speech, balance and movement disabling her ability to reach healthy milestones such as talking, walking and eating without assistance. The infusion of her umbilical cord blood at Duke University, North Carolina in August has already shown improvements in her recovery. “Just a few days after the procedure her eyes started to look more alert, she lost the unfoc used, dreamy kind of look,” the girl’s father said. “Her arms and legs began to straighten out, and her physical co-ordination improved.” Since her return home to New Zealand she has continued to make progress and is now attending pre-school. Pediatric oncologist Joanne Kurtzberg, who oversaw the girl’s treatment, has re-infused 50 children with their own cord blood for treatment of cerebral palsy and brain injury since 2003. It would appear banking children’s cord blood could have far reaching capabilities for future necessary treatments.
