Repeated autologous umbilical cord blood infusions are feasible and had no acute safety issues in young babies with congenital hydrocephalus.

Abstract

Background

Babies with congenital hydrocephalus often experience developmental disabilities due to brain injury associated with prolonged increased pressure on the developing brain parenchyma. Umbilical cord blood (CB) infusion has favorable effects in animal models of brain hypoxia and stroke and is being investigated in clinical trials of brain injury in both children and adults. We sought to establish the safety and feasibility of repeated intravenous infusions of autologous CB in young babies with congenital hydrocephalus.

Methods

Infants with severe congenital hydrocephalus and an available qualified autologous CB unit traveled to Duke for evaluation and CB infusion. When possible, the CB unit was utilized for multiple infusions. Patient and CB data were obtained at the time of infusion and analyzed retrospectively.

Results

From October 2006 to August 2014, 76 patients with congenital hydrocephalus received 143 autologous CB infusions. Most babies received repeated doses, for a total of two (n = 45), three (n = 18), or four (n = 4) infusions. There were no infusion-related adverse events. As expected, all babies experienced developmental delays.

Conclusion

Cryopreserved CB products may be effectively manipulated to provide multiple CB doses. Repeated intravenous infusion of autologous CB is safe and feasible in young babies with congenital hydrocephalus.

Department

Description

Provenance

Citation

Published Version (Please cite this version)

10.1038/pr.2015.161

Publication Info

Sun, Jessica M, Gerald A Grant, Colleen McLaughlin, June Allison, Anne Fitzgerald, Barbara Waters-Pick and Joanne Kurtzberg (2015). Repeated autologous umbilical cord blood infusions are feasible and had no acute safety issues in young babies with congenital hydrocephalus. Pediatric research, 78(6). pp. 712–716. 10.1038/pr.2015.161 Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/24644.

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Scholars@Duke

Jessica Muller Sun

Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Colleen A McLaughlin

Clinical Associate in the School of Nursing

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