--- title: Cord Blood Stem Cells for Traumatic Brain Injury in Children date: 2015-09-09T03:00:00-04:00 author: Courtney Flickinger canonical_url: "https://www.americordblood.com/articles/cord-blood-stem-cells-for-traumatic-brain-injury-in-children" section: Articles --- ![An image that contains the words Traumatic Brain Injury.](https://assets.americordblood.com/transforms/blogs/72745/traumatic-brain-injury-americord_3a4b82a5ccc61d1e1823739e015fded0.png) [ Treatments & Clinical Trials ](https://www.americordblood.com/articles/treatments-clinical-trials) 1 Min Read # Cord Blood Stem Cells for Traumatic Brain Injury in Children Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of disability and death in children and adolescents in the US. For children ages 0-14 years, TBI results in an estimated 2,685 deaths, 37,000 hospitalizations, and 435,000 emergency department visits every year. Animal trials have had exciting results. They’ve shown that [cord blood stem cells](https://www.americordblood.com/cord-blood) injected into the bloodstream of animals with different types of brain injury migrate to the damaged area of the brain. The stem cell transplants have been found to significantly improve movement and brain function. Results in animal trials have been so promising that the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) recently undertook a Phase I clinical trial treating 10 children, ages 5-14, who had severe brain injury. Soon after their injury, the children were given transplants of their own stem cells, collected from their bone marrow. Six months later, all of the children showed significant improvement, and 7 of the 10 had mild or no disability. While the UTHealth study used bone marrow stem cells, scientists are enthused about the potential of cord blood stem cells in treating traumatic brain injury. Cord blood stem cells are younger than bone marrow stem cells, meaning they have the ability to differentiate into many different types of cells. In vitro studies have shown that they can change into nerve cells like those found in the brain. They also secrete therapeutic factors that may help repair brain damage. While research on stem cell treatment for [Brain Injury in Children](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5341344/) is still in its infancy, it seems very likely that stem cells will be an important resource as we learn more about restoring health to damaged brains. *The views, statements, and pricing expressed are deemed reliable as of the published date. Articles may not reflect current pricing, offerings, or recent innovations.* ### Cord Blood Banking Preserve your baby’s umbilical cord blood stem cells with CryoMaxx™ Processing and use in 80+ FDA-approved treatments and 100’s of clinical trials including autism, diabetes, childhood leukemia, sickle cell disease, and more. [ View Service ](https://www.americordblood.com/cord-blood) ### Be the First to Know Never miss the latest cord blood breakthrough, clinical trial, or stem cell education to keep your family healthy for life. 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[ Read More ](https://www.americordblood.com/articles/the-truth-about-stem-cells) [ ![A logo featuring red and orange circles, representing a vibrant and eye-catching design.](https://assets.americordblood.com/transforms/blogs/43737/where-stem-cells-come-from-americord_2023-10-17-154145_olwb_41a4f2ed037c5ad51696884668d44cc6.png) ](https://www.americordblood.com/articles/what-are-stem-cells) [### What are Stem Cells? ](https://www.americordblood.com/articles/what-are-stem-cells)Incredibly useful stem cells come from cord blood and tissue. Learn how we can safely collect and store your baby's stem cells. [ Read More ](https://www.americordblood.com/articles/what-are-stem-cells) [ ![A female scientist performing a laboratory experiment.](https://assets.americordblood.com/transforms/blogs/5657/how-long-can-stem-cells-be-stored-americord_41a4f2ed037c5ad51696884668d44cc6.jpg) ](https://www.americordblood.com/articles/how-long-can-stem-cells-be-stored) [### How Long Can Stem Cells be Stored? ](https://www.americordblood.com/articles/how-long-can-stem-cells-be-stored)Proper storage pauses the stem cell life span so families can preserve and use stem cells if needed. Choose Americord for your stem cell storage needs. [ Read More ](https://www.americordblood.com/articles/how-long-can-stem-cells-be-stored)