A new round of clinical trials beginning at MCG will test whether infusions of umbilical cord blood improve the quality of life for children with cerebral palsy. The study is the first of its kind and will target 40 children whose parents had cord blood stored.

Researchers say the blood is rich in stem cells, which can become different kinds of cells used to treat a variety of diseases.

Dr. James Carroll is the lead researcher on the FDA-approved study. He says that until now the only information on the treatment’s effects have come from parents' testimonies.

"It’s natural as a parent that the parent wants to see improvement, so we really want to find out if it helps or not," Dr. Carroll says. He continues, "If it doesn’t we would have to be honest and say that it’s not a wise use of the child’s cord blood."

Dr. Carroll says that one child typically produces enough cord blood for only a single treatment.

Tags: Augusta, Medical College of Georgia, clinical trials, stem cells, umbilical cord blood, stem cell research, cerebral palsy, pediatric cerebral palsy, Dr. James Carroll