Parents storing umbilical cord blood that could treat cerebral palsy

An increasing number of parents are storing the blood from their child’s umbilical cord because it is believed that one day the stem cells in the blood can be used to treat certain diseases and disorders, like cerebral palsy. The trend is growing in Australia, with about 15,000 people storing the umbilical cord blood with three private blood banks, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. “Parents see storage as an insurance policy for the future,” Peter Littlewood, chief executive officer of Australian Stem Cell HealthCare, told the news source. “As science develops we would expect it would have more uses in the future. It is an area with huge potential.” There is currently a great deal of research into using stem cells to treat cerebral palsy and previously incurable maladies. In addition to those who have stored the umbilical cord blood with private blood banks it is believed that another 22,000 have donated the blood to public blood banks. “I've had four perfect pregnancies, four perfect labours and four healthy children,” Phoebe Neylon, who donated umbilical cord blood from two of her children, told the news provider. ''I wanted to give something back.” Two to three children in every 1,000 will develop cerebral palsy, according to the March of Dimes.