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This month, we are excited to highlight a recent publication in the journal Pediatrics examining cord blood infusions in the treatment of cerebral palsy (CP).1 This analysis, originally presented at the Cord Blood Connect 2023 Meeting,2 was an international collaboration in which researchers performed an Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis (IPDMA) using data from 11 different studies.
The IPDMA included 7 controlled trials and 4 single-arm trials, analyzing a total of 341 unique participants: 170 umbilical cord blood treated participants, and 171 placebo treated participants. Various presumed underlying causal pathways to CP were reported with an effort to exclude genetic etiologies. There was a range of CP severity, as measured by Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66) scores, with 52% of participants being classified as moderate to severe. The mean age of the treated children at baseline was 54.6 months (range 8 months to 18.9 years).
The authors concluded that cord blood infusions are safe and may provide benefit for improving gross motor function in some children with CP, with higher doses associated with increased effect size. Importantly, a published commentary to the IPDMA noted that “the effect sizes reported in this study represent what is conventionally considered a large treatment effect. By way of comparison, the effect size for evidence-based interventions for children with CP is often small or medium.”3
While acknowledging the limitations of this meta-analysis, the authors stress that a well-designed phase 3 trial examining cord blood infusions for CP should be considered in an effort to achieve regulatory approval for this treatment option. At this time, individuals with CP may be eligible for cord blood infusions through Duke University’s Expanded Access Protocol,4 a pathway through which a number of Insception clients have utilized their child’s cord blood sample. 5
Expecting a child? Have friends or family who are expecting a child or grandchild? Join Insception today or refer a friend. When someone you refer preserves with Insception, you’ll receive a cheque or storage credit to fund your storage fees.* — and they’ll receive special pricing on our newborn stem cell bundle.
