Of course, no treatment is without complications, and stem cell therapy is the same. However, despite its novelty, stem cell therapy has limited side effects if used properly, with comparable general side effects to those experienced with regular blood transfusion or foreign organ transplantation (ex. allergic reactions, cell rejection, or fever).

Additionally, in studies specifically studying stem cell therapy in SMA, no actual side effects were reported given the already-severe presentation of these infants prior to starting stem cell therapy. However, when using stem cell therapy in similar conditions, none of these previously mentioned side effects reported were life-threatening or had life-long consequences, and they were easily managed medically at the time of their occurrence (11).