Last Updated on: 4th September 2024, 05:12 pm
Summary
| Diagnosis | Sex | Age | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cerebral Palsy | Male | 3 years | UK |
| Injections | Cell type | Admission date | Discharge date |
| 7 | UCMSC | February 26th 2023 | March 19th 2023 |
Medical history
The patient was diagnosed with severe hypoxia at birth, leading to severe neonatal encephalopathy. He experienced seizures shortly after birth, which were managed with medications including midazolam, keppra, and phenobarbitone. Despite seizure clusters, he has not experienced obvious seizures since May. The patient has been on a regimen of phenobarbitone, keppra, and baclofen to manage his condition, with improvements noted in dystonia and reflux. He also underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to aid his vision impairment. However, recent developments revealed angiodysplasia in his stomach, necessitating caution before proceeding with stem cell treatment.
Condition On Admission
The patient exhibits hypertonia, dystonia, and an unsafe swallow, necessitating the use of an NG tube for feeding. He has severe reflux and experiences gas due to the NG tube. Despite his challenges, the patient shows responsiveness to touch, smiles when spoken to, and exhibits some developmental progress. He requires assistance with sitting and has a global developmental delay, indicating ongoing challenges in his motor and cognitive development. The family hopes for improvements in his head control and vision through stem cell treatment, but the process has been delayed due to concerns regarding his recent health issues, particularly the stability of his angiodysplasia condition for at least three months.
Treatment Schedule
Patient received 7 packs of umbilical cord derived stem cell (UCMSC) by intravenous (IV) injection and intrathecal injection via lumbar puncture (LP), as per the schedule below:
| Number | Date | Cell Type | Delivery Method | Side Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-02-02 | UCMSC | Intrathecal Injection & Intravenous Injection |
none reported |
| 2 | 2023-03-06 | UCMSC | Intrathecal Injection | none reported |
| 3 | 2023-03-09 | UCMSC | Intrathecal Injection & Intravenous Injection |
none reported |
| 4 | 2023-03-13 | UCMSC | Intrathecal Injection & Intravenous Injection |
none reported |
Condition at discharge
After undergoing stem cell treatment, the patient’s general physical condition has shown small improvements, including slightly more relaxed tone, increased appetite, improved car travel, and recognition of surroundings and people. Quality of life has slightly improved, although no confirmation from the doctor is available. The parents express somewhat satisfaction with the treatment outcome. In terms of specific symptoms, there have been small improvements in head control, range of movement, spasticity, trunk muscle strength, and walking.
| Symptom | Parents’ Assessment of Improvement |
|---|---|
| Appetite | Small improvement |
| Head control | Small improvement |
| Range of movement | Small improvement |
| Spasticity | Small improvement |
| Trunk muscle strength | Small improvement |
| Walking | Small improvement |
Condition 1 month after treatment
The patient has experienced moderate improvements in his general physical condition, such as being able to sit unaided for short periods and displaying increased vocalization, indicating a desire to communicate. Additionally, the patient’s quality of life has moderately improved, confirmed by the doctor, leading to overall satisfaction with the treatment outcome. However, there have been some setbacks, notably a worsening of drooling compared to before the treatment.
| Symptom | Parents’ Assessment of Improvement |
|---|---|
| Appetite | Moderate improvement |
| Balance | Small improvement |
| Head control | Moderate improvement |
| Limb muscle strength | Moderate improvement |
| Standing up | Moderate improvement |
| Swallowing | Small improvement |
| Trunk muscle strength | Moderate improvement |
| Speech | Small improvement |
Condition 3 months after treatment
The patient has shown small improvements in his general physical condition, appearing more alert, aware, and friendly to strangers. Although the doctor hasn’t confirmed improvements, the parents are satisfied with the moderately improved quality of life. The patient has started taking steps with a walker, which is remarkable progress. However, he experienced a chest infection post-treatment, requiring antibiotics. Notably, there have been significant improvements in walking, moderate improvements in head control, limb muscle strength, range of movement, speech, standing up, and trunk muscle strength. Additionally, there have been small improvements in appetite, balance, crawling, drooling, involuntary movements, and swallowing.
| Symptom | Parents’ Assessment of Improvement |
|---|---|
| Appetite | Moderate improvement |
| Balance | Small improvement |
| Crawling | Small improvement |
| Drooling | Small improvement |
| Head control | Moderate improvement |
| Involuntary movements | Small improvement |
| Limb muscle strength | Moderate improvement |
| Range of movement | Moderate improvement |
| Spasticity | Small improvement |
| Speech | Moderate improvement |