What is Cerebral Palsy
The cause of Cerebral Palsy is a brain injury or brain malformation that occurs while the brain is developing before, during, or after birth. As a result of the brain damage during brain development a child’s muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture and balance can be affected.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability in childhood. It affects at least 1.5 to 4 out of every 1,000 children worldwide.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture.
What Causes Cerebral Palsy
Abnormal brain development or injury to the developing brain can cause CP. The damage affects the part of the brain that controls body movement, coordination, and posture.
The brain damage usually occurs before birth, but it can also happen during birth or the first years of life. In most cases, the exact cause of CP isn’t known.
Some of the possible causes include:
- Asphyxia neonatorum, or a lack of oxygen to the brain during labour and delivery
- Gene mutations that result in abnormal brain development
- Severe jaundice in the infant
- Maternal infections, such German measles and herpes simplex
- Brain infections, such as encephalitis and meningitis
- Intracranial haemorrhage, or bleeding into the brain
- Head injuries as a result of a car accident, a fall, or child abuse
Below you will find a before and after SPEC scan of a cerebral palsy patient (grey – normal; red, pink and white – above normal; green, light/dark blue, black – hypoperfused). A) Showing hypoperfused Regions before Receiving hESC Therapy. B) Improved Perfusion (reduced black areas) after Receiving hESC Therapy. (© Shroff et al.; licensee BioMed Central. 2014)
Stem cell therapy has the potential to overcome neurological impairments caused by CP. This is achieved by its ability to replace damaged cells of the nervous system. The replacement and transformation potential is higher with embryonic stem cells (ESC) as compared with other types of stem cells. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are self renewing cells capable of differentiating into any cell type in the human body. This ability has led to their extensive use in the treatment of several neurodegenerative and neurological disorders. By triggering of a high production of neural stem cells within the brain which, in turn, become new neurons and glial cells, new connections are created.
Benefits of Embryonic Stem Cells for Cerebral Palsy Treatment
study was published in the December 2014 issue of the Journal of Translational Medicine to evaluate the efficacy and safety of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) therapy in 91 patients with CP up to 18 years of age. The conclusion of the study was that the use of hESC therapy in patients with CP is both effective and safe with CP patients showing improvement in both motor function and cognitive skills.
For those suffering from CP, we believe that embryonic stem cells represent the only safe and effective treatment available today.
The degree of improvement following injection of Stem Cell Health’s ESCs may vary, depending on the severity of the condition. For this reason, we recommend a series of 6 injections of stem cells over a 2-3 week period, followed by a reevaluation after 6 months.
We have not observed any negative side-effects in people following treatment. Some tiredness is to be expected as the body goes into its ‘repair mode’.
To learn more about our protocol or to be directed to an affiliated practitioner, Click the “ask a question” button below.
Contact Stem Cell Health to learn more about innovative stem cell therapy.
