Every family carries infinite love for their children, hoping to nurture them into a healthy and successful life. With the continuous development of modern medicine, the application of stem cells holds great promise. Stem cells have enormous potential for development, potentially becoming a new approach to intervene in various diseases, providing more safeguards for children’s healthy growth and contributing to building a healthy future for them.
So, what potential do stem cells have in intervening in children’s diseases? According to related research, stem cells have shown certain effects on various diseases such as autism, aplastic anemia, childhood cerebral palsy, skin diseases, lung diseases, graft-versus-host disease, and premature aging, bringing new hope to children with these conditions. Below are some relevant cases.
Autism:
Research indicates that boys are 3-4 times more likely to have autism than girls. The number of autism patients in China is increasing year by year, with autism considered the fastest-growing developmental disorder.
A clinical study involving 37 children with autism used umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (containing hematopoietic stem cells) in combination for the treatment of children with autism, supplemented with rehabilitation therapy.
All autism children treated showed no adverse reactions. Compared to the control group of autism children receiving only conventional treatment, those who received stem cell treatment showed significant improvement in autism symptoms, as quantified by clinical indicators such as the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS).
Source: LV Y T, ZHANG Y, LIU M, et al. Transplantation of human cord blood mononuclear cells and umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells in autism. J Transl Med 2013, 11:196. DOI: 10.1186/1479-5876-11-196.
Aplastic Anemia:
At the end of 2013, a 9-year-old girl named Wang from a rural area was hospitalized for severe aplastic anemia, with a history of 5 years of illness. In March 2014, the girl’s mother stored hematopoietic stem cells from the placenta of her second child. The National Engineering Research Center for Cell Products collaborated with the PLA General Hospital in treating the girl with placental hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The girl recovered and was discharged from the hospital, with normal hematopoietic function restored after a 2-year follow-up.
Source: Various media such as People’s Daily and Beijing Evening News.
Childhood Cerebral Palsy:
40 children with cerebral palsy underwent a total of four umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplants as a treatment course. The transplants were performed weekly, using both intravenous infusion and lumbar puncture subarachnoid space transplantation, along with conventional neurotrophic drugs and physical rehabilitation therapy. Follow-up was conducted for 6 months to 1 year. The Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88), modified Ashworth scale (assessing muscle tone), and SPSS statistical analysis were used to evaluate the gross motor function of the children before and after the surgery.
After a course of stem cell transplantation treatment, the children’s gross motor abilities showed varying degrees of improvement. Follow-up revealed significant improvement in various movement indicators of the children 6 months after discharge compared to at the time of discharge.
Source: WU Jingwen, JIA Danbing, QU Chaofa, ZHAO Bo, LV Zuohong, LI Jian, HU Xiang, ZHANG Xiang. Clinical efficacy of stem cell transplantation in the treatment of childhood cerebral palsy: report of 40 cases. Chin J Neurosurg Dis Res 2011, 10(05):424-427.
Childhood Lung Diseases:
In 2014, The Journal of Pediatrics published the results of a clinical trial using mesenchymal stem cells for bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants. The trial showed that infants who received mesenchymal stem cell transplantation had significantly relieved symptoms, reduced inflammation levels, and no related side effects. The phase 1 clinical trial was successful.
Source: Chang YS, Ahn SY, Yoo HS, Sung SI, Choi SJ, Oh WI, Park WS. Mesenchymal stem cells for bronchopulmonary dysplasia: phase 1 dose-escalation clinical trial. J Pediatr 2014;164:966-972 e966.
The placenta contains a variety of stem cells, so when welcoming new life, consider storing placental stem cells for your child. This is a preventive measure against potential health risks in the future. The stem cells you store may play a significant role in ensuring a safe and smooth path for your child’s growth journey.
