Cord blood gives families hope

When a baby is born, medical professionals routinely throw away a sick child's potential lifeline.

Dr. Hugh Miller of Obstetrix Medical Group, 5301 E. Grant Road, is working to establish the upside of storing umbilical cord blood, which contains stem cells that doctors may someday be able to use to heal a variety of medical conditions.

Miller, Cord Blood Registry and the Save the Cord Foundation created the Newborn Possibilities Program. Cord Blood Registry processes and stores cord blood stem cells, for babies born after high-risk deliveries, for use in future treatments.

Miller chose participants by establishing an algorithm to identify pregnant mothers whose fetuses were at risk of developing cerebral palsy and other neurological problems.

Between 2009 and 2011, the program selected 1,200 babies. Cord Blood Registry pays for the cord blood collection, processing and storage in the registry's stem cell processing and storage facility. Costs can be prohibitive for parents who want to store cord blood. Banking costs about $2,000 initially, then between $100 and $200 a year.

Marana resident Jessica Schaefer, whose 2-year-old son, Logan, is participating in the study, is eager to discover the treatment's potential.

A subsequent study has been crucial for Schaefer, a 36-year-old single mother who also has a 17-year-old daughter. Logan is autistic and has cerebral palsy and needs such constant treatment that Schaefer has no time to work.

The study pays for Schaefer and her son to fly to Augusta, Ga., every three months to see a specialist and receive treatments. The double-blind nature of the study means she can't be certain whether or not Logan is receiving cord blood treatments, because it's possible he's been given placebos.

Treatment consists of syringe-injected infusions of cord blood or placebos, followed by evaluations three months later. Children who received a placebo during the initial treatment receive the cord blood afterward. Researchers follow up by evaluating the kids' neurological development and motor skills.

"To be honest, when I had my son I never thought that there was going to be anything wrong with him, healthwise," Schaefer said.

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Cord blood gives families hope