Long-Term Effects of Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells as a Treatment for Neonatal Brain Injury

Newborn babies that are deprived of oxygen at birth are at risk of suffering brain injury, which can lead to cerebral palsy. In this thesis I used a rodent model to examine the potential of umbilical cord blood (UCB) stem cells to reduce this brain injury. Results from these studies show that giving multiple doses of UCB shortly after birth protects the brain from injury, and reduces long-term behavioural deficits, which are often apparent in children with cerebral palsy. These findings support the use of UCB as a therapy to protect vulnerable babies from long-term neurological deficits.