NZ girl treated with own umbilical cord blood
Tuesday, 02 December 2008A four-year-old Auckland girl has become the first New Zealand child to be successfully treated with her own umbilical cord blood.
Maia Friedlander had a birth-related brain injury, which caused developmental delays.
Prior to her treatment Maia spent six hours a day in therapy and had difficulty running, chewing and communicating.
In August, she received a reinfusion of her cord blood at Duke University, North Carolina in the United States.
Umbilical cord blood contains special stem cells that can be used to reboot immune systems after cancer treatment, to repair brain injury and Type 1 diabetes.
Her parents said they have already seen improvements.
Maia's father Daniel Friedlander said leading paediatric oncologist Joanne Kurtzberg oversaw Maia's two hour treatment.
Since 2003, Dr Kurtzberg has reinfused 50 children with their own cord blood for treatment of cerebral palsy and brain injury.
"Just a few days later after the procedure her eyes started to look more alert, and she lost the unfocused, dreamy kind of look she had always had. Her arms and legs began to straighten out, and her physical co-ordination improved.
"Since Maia's return home (to Auckland) she's continued to make progress and is now attending pre-school 5 days a week."
He said the family cannot believe the change in her.
Maia's treatment is not yet available in New Zealand and her family paid for travel to the United States and her treatment.
Cord Bank is the only New Zealand organisation where parents can store their child's cord blood.
It is a privately owned company, licensed by MedSafe, which charges an initial $2500 fee and then $200 a year for the storage.
The Auckland-based company was founded in 2002 and said "many thousands" of families store cord blood there.
- NZPA
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