{"id":38524,"date":"2025-06-02T11:25:16","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T11:25:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cells4life.com\/us\/?p=38524"},"modified":"2025-09-29T16:06:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T16:06:11","slug":"first-cord-blood-treatment-for-cerebral-palsy-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cells4life.com\/us\/2025\/06\/first-cord-blood-treatment-for-cerebral-palsy-australia\/","title":{"rendered":"First Cord Blood Treatment for Cerebral Palsy Performed in Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]\n

A six-year-old girl named Zara has become the first child in Australia to receive an infusion of her own stored cord blood as treatment for cerebral palsy outside of a clinical trial. Experts hope that this milestone will pave the way towards broader availability, therefore removing the need for Australian children with cerebral palsy to travel elsewhere for treatment.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

Zara’s story\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Zara was born prematurely, and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after she began missing milestones. Before she was born, her parents had made the decision to store her cord blood with an Australian stem cell bank, due to her mother having type 1 diabetes. After the cerebral palsy diagnosis, her parents wondered if the stored cord blood might help her.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

Initially, they considered travelling overseas, as cord blood treatment for cerebral palsy is not generally available in Australia. In fact, excluding Zara, only 12 other children have received this treatment, and all were part of a clinical trial. Conversely, Australian charity Cerebral Palsy Alliance (CPA) estimates that hundreds of families have had to spend tens of thousands of dollars to seek this treatment abroad.[1]<\/a>[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

Planning and securing the required approvals for the treatment took more than a year. It was a coordinated group effort, involving not only Zara\u2019s parents and her pediatric neurologist, Professor Michael Fahey, but also the stem cell bank, CPA, Melbourne\u2019s Monash Children\u2019s Hospital and Hudson Institute of Medical Research and several local politicians.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

Zara received her cord blood in April of this year, and her progress will be monitored in the months and years ahead. The biggest gains are expected between three and six months after the treatment, but Zara\u2019s parents are already seeing improvements in her balance and movement, as well as reduced muscle stiffness. \u201cAt soccer training, she can weave between the cones easier,\u201d her mother said. \u201cAt physio the other day, for the first time in her life, she walked up and down four steps without \u00adhaving to hold on to the rail.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

What does cord blood treatment for cerebral palsy entail?<\/span><\/h3>\n

After careful thawing and preparation, the cord blood treatment is given as an infusion, through a drip into the arm. The process takes 20-30 minutes and is very similar to a standard blood transfusion.[3]<\/a>[1]<\/a> It is believed that the cord blood treatment works by helping the brain form new pathways; these are then strengthened and refined by a cycle of rehabilitation, done after the treatment.[3]<\/a> A recently-published review paper<\/a> confirms, through extensive data analysis, that cord blood treatment followed by rehabilitation improves motor skills significantly more than rehabilitation alone.[4]<\/a>[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

The treatment can use either autologous (the child\u2019s own) cord blood, as in Zara\u2019s case, or allogeneic (a donor\u2019s). In the latter case, a sibling is often the cord blood donor. At Cells4Life, we have released six cord blood samples for treatment of a sibling with cerebral palsy, most recently in 2024; sibling donors were also used in the single clinical trial performed in Australia.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

Why is this treatment not more widely available?<\/span><\/h3>\n

The science supports the effectiveness of cord blood treatment for cerebral palsy, particularly in younger children as well as those with less severe forms of the condition.[4]<\/a>[5]<\/a> However, it is not yet approved in any country, including Australia and the UK, and as such is not readily available as a therapy option. This is because large-scale phase 3 clinical trials are needed for approval, and are expensive and complicated to organize.[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

In the meantime, outside of clinical trials, cord blood treatment for cerebral palsy is available only through expanded access or compassionate use pathways. This can require either individual approval for the treatment, as in Zara\u2019s case, or participation in an existing expanded access program, such as the one at Duke University in the USA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Both of those routes to treatment are likely to require a child having access to either their own banked cord blood, or a sibling\u2019s. This is because while there are public cord blood banks, the cord blood stored there may be available for use only for approved treatments or clinical trials.<\/p>\n

Banking your baby\u2019s cord blood at birth could therefore be essential to ensure access to this treatment if they, or a sibling, develop cerebral palsy. To learn more about cord blood banking, as well as other potential uses of cord blood for other diseases and conditions, fill out the form below to request your free info kit.<\/p>\n

References<\/h3>\n

[1] Booth, S. (2025). \u2018Already improving\u2019: First Aussie child receives top cerebral palsy treatment<\/i>. https:\/\/www.heraldsun.com.au\/health\/conditions\/already-improving-first-aussie-child-receives-top-cerebral-palsy-treatment\/news-story\/7f5e9b0bbab8bcf802aaa4e9e282d9ab<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[2] Hudson Institute of Medical Research. (2025).\u00a0Hudson Cell Therapies facilitates Australian first UCB stem cell treatment for cerebral palsy<\/i>. https:\/\/www.hudson.org.au\/news\/hudson-cell-therapies-facilitates-australian-first-ucb-stem-cell-treatment-for-cerebral-palsy\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[3] Cerebral Palsy Alliance. (2025).\u00a0Umbilical cord blood and cerebral palsy<\/i>. https:\/\/cerebralpalsy.org.au\/advocacy\/umbilical-cord-blood\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[4] Finch-Edmondson, M., et al. (2025). Cord Blood Treatment for Children With Cerebral Palsy: Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis. Pediatrics<\/i>, 155(5), p.e2024068999. doi:https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1542\/peds.2024-068999<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[5] Parent\u2019s Guide to Cord Blood\u00a0(2025).\u00a0Cord Blood Proven Effective for Cerebral Palsy.\u00a0<\/em>https:\/\/parentsguidecordblood.org\/en\/news\/cord-blood-proven-effective-cerebral-palsy<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ module_class=”down-arrow” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_color=”#bd144f” custom_padding=”0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”RWP” module_id=”request-welcome-pack” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_layout=”dark” use_border_color=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]\n

FIND OUT MORE, REQUEST YOUR FREE INFO KIT TODAY<\/h3>\n

All you need to know to make an informed decision.<\/p>\n

Provide your contact details to request:<\/p>\n

– Complete Info Kit and your Guide to Cord Blood Banking
– Information via email
– Contact from our specialist advisors<\/p>\n

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