The Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy for Cerebral Palsy

If you are a parent of a child with cerebral palsy, chances are that you would do just about anything for a cure or at least a treatment that helped your child. You might even consider stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy. It's frustrating and even heartbreaking to watch a child who is unable to walk or move like normal children and in some cases unable to even talk or eat due to a condition like CP.  Research is at an all time high as scientists and the medical community search for a treatment or cure for cerebral palsy. This is where stem cell therapy has come about. Advancements in stem cell research over past years have come a long way and it is now believed to help with many different conditions, CP included. Many parents are choosing to save their baby's umbilical cord at birth for possible stem cell use in the future. Some parents of CP children are considering stem cell therapy as an option but it is not available in all countries or areas of the world. This has many parents traveling to other countries just to give their children the opportunity to try this treatment.Stem cell therapy is one treatment for CP that could be considered but before you make any types of decisions like this, it is important to understand how the treatment works and what it entails. Learning the stem cell facts will help you understand how this treatment may be an option for you or your child.Stem cells are the basic building blocks of our bodies. We all have them from birth. In fact, they are in every multi-cellular organism and they are also distinguished from the other cells because they have two qualities that make them unique. They can renew themselves by growing into different types of cells found in the body and they have the ability to copy themselves continuously. Adult stem cells are used today for research but it is believed that embryonic stem cells can be some of the most potent. This is why many parents are saving and banking their babies' umbilical cord stem cells for future use. If you are a parent of a CP child and you saved their umbilical cord cells, these may be used in treatment. If not, you will need to look for donor cells which are usually obtained from donor banks. If you are even considering this option, it's very important that you research and choose a good bank and be sure you know where these stem cells are coming from. Some parents are so desperate for a cure that they will jump on any idea. While stem cell research is coming a long way, it's still important to get all the facts before considering this treatment.The benefits of stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy could be large. If you or a loved one suffers from this condition, it is well worth learning more about it to try to determine if it is a good treatment source for you to consider. Just be sure you get all the facts before making a big decision like this for your CP patient.