As a parent of an autistic child, you want to see your child    live to their fullest potential. When a clinic offers stem cell    therapy for autism, which seems like a miracle cure, you may    want to immediately pursue it. You want to try anything that    could help your child function better in the world.  
    Many clinics offer stem cell therapies to treat a range of    conditions, including autism. While there is some important new    medical research being conducted on how well stem cells work in    mitigating symptoms of autism, none of these treatments have    received FDA approval.  
    In 2020, these stem cell therapy treatments are not considered    safe for children with autism.  
    Stem cell therapy is a new field in medicine that offers huge    potential to treat conditions that have few other options.  
    However, there are questionable operations claiming to use stem    cells to rejuvenate, improve, or even cure conditions that have    no immediate cure. It can be difficult to know the difference    between what is advertised as a legitimate medical treatment    and what might actually be harmful for someone with a long-term    condition like autism.  
    Stem cells are sometimes referred to as the bodys master    cells because they are like a blank slate for creating new    cells. Bones, organs, blood, and brain cells all start as stem    cells.  
    In some instances, these cells might regenerate, restore, or    even replace these tissues. This means that, when used in some    medical treatments, stem cells have the potential to fix many    underlying issues. The     United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates    stem cell products in the U.S.  
    The FDA has approved limited use of stem cells in treatments    for some types of cancer or disorders of blood and bone marrow.    As more stem cell treatments are tested in clinical trials in    tightly controlled human studies, more conditions may appear to    have prescribed stem cell treatments associated with them.    While these clinical trials are very important and can help    study participants, few of these clinical trials lead to cures    or even therapies to manage the condition.  
    Before pursuing a clinic offering stem cell therapy, check    whether the practitioners have received FDA approval for the    treatment.  
    Autism is one of the conditions that could potentially one day    benefit from stem cell treatments. This developmental disorder    mainly impacts behavior, socializing, communication, and    cognition.  
        Some anecdotal evidence exists that clinics offering    unapproved stem cell treatments benefit people with autism;    however, there is very little evidence through medical studies    that this is possible. Currently, the best treatment for autism    is behavior therapy like applied behavior analysis (ABA).  
        There are several clinics offering stem cell treatments for    a range of conditions, including autism, joint pain from any    source, and multiple sclerosis. The cells used in treatment    tend to come from fat cells donated or sold after liposuction    treatment.  
    Typically, these cells are     autologous , meaning they are extracted from the patient to    create the stem cell therapy and then infused back into the    patient. Some clinics use bone marrow or umbilical cord    tissues, which come from different donors who are not    genetically related to the person receiving treatment.  
    While clinics report happy testimonials from people who undergo    these therapies, it is important to note that many of the    reported benefits are associated with conditions that have    symptoms that fluctuate over time. For example, arthritis    symptoms may come and go, with flareups of pain and    inflammation persisting for several weeks or months and then    going away as the condition temporarily goes into    remission.  
    Children with autism tend to be diagnosed at a young age, often    around 2 or 3 years    old . It is well established that autistic children should    receive evidence-based treatment like ABA therapy to reduce    later problems with communication, cognition, and socializing.    The efficacy of many new treatments for autism is unproven.  
    It can be difficult for medical studies into any therapy,    including a new treatment like stem cell injections, to    definitively know if improvements in symptoms are associated    with the therapy or with natural developmental changes that can    lead to improvements in autism symptoms as the child gets    older. More research is needed to solidify conclusions, and    currently, the research into stem cell therapy for autism is    lacking.  
    There are concerns that companies may be     preying on autistic parents , offering the hope of a cure    for autism or a dramatic improvement in symptoms that just    hasnt been proven. Some stem cell therapy companies charge    tens of thousands of dollars for this treatment. Regulators    warn that the treatments may be illegal, unsafe, and    potentially harmful.  
    While parents should be wary of commercial stem cell therapy    offerings, studies into the practice are ongoing.  
    As of a    2018 meta-survey , there were several clinical trials using    stem cells to manage autism symptoms.  
    Overall Improvement With Potential for Adverse    Effects  
    For example, one study followed 32 school-aged participants    whose ages averaged about 10.5 years old. The group received    bone-marrow-derived mononuclear cell (BMMNC) transplantation,    which uses stem cells from blood. The protocol involved the    intrathecal cellular therapy as well as other important    therapies for autism, including occupational, sensory    integration, psychological, dietary, and speech therapy.  
    During the course of the study, three participants developed    seizures, and a small percentage of the group developed mild    increases in hyperactivity as a result of the stem cell    treatment. However, as a group, there were noted improvements    in social relationships and reciprocity like smiling and eye    contact; thinking, attention, and cognition; and speech and    language patterns and usage. There was also a decrease in    inappropriate emotional responses, self-stimulating behaviors,    excitement or agitation for no clear reason, and exaggerated    emotional responses.  
    While there were some adverse side effects, many improvements    were also seen in the small group.  
    More Benefits for Nonverbal Children With Higher    IQs  
    Another clinical trial examined a group of diagnosed autistic    children between the ages of 2 and 7 to see if autologous    umbilical cord blood (AUCB) transplantation could improve some    autism symptoms. Subjects were randomly divided into two    groups, with one receiving the stem cell transplant and the    other receiving saline injections.  
    At a six-month follow-up, the group who received infusions had    better socialization, communication, and adaptive behavior    scores compared to the control group. The improvement was    sustained at a one-year follow-up.  
    Unlike some other studies, nonverbal children with higher IQs    seemed to benefit the most from this type of stem cell    infusion. The researchers stated that the improvements could    also be associated with natural development as the children    entered preschool.  
    The Necessity of FDA Approval  
    There have been three other major stem cell studies involving    children with autism, but they have all had a wide variance in    the treatments used, study participants, how outcomes were    measured, and even how the studies were designed.  
    More importantly, clinical trials do not prove that stem cell    therapies work. Pursuing any that do not have FDA approval    could cause harm to your child. Problems With    Getting Stem Cell Therapy for Autism in 2020  
    While you want to do everything possible to help your child,    there are some serious risks with attempting unapproved    treatments like stem cell therapy. These risks remain even if    the clinic is managed by medical personnel, has a good    reputation, or appears clean.  
    If you participate in an unproven treatment that is not    FDA-approved, like stem cell therapy, you could put your child    at risk for:  
        Infections.      
        Tumors.      
        Inflammatory conditions due to unfamiliar cells.      
        Skin irritation at injection sites.      
        Damage to the central nervous system when using lumbar        punctures.      
        Because these clinics are not real medical clinics , they    dont have licenses or oversight. You will not receive any    health insurance coverage for these treatments as they are    considered experimental.  
    These clinics are essentially boutique operations. They often    charge a lot of money while falsely raising your hopes about    the outcome. Parents suffer through grief and frustration when    the treatment doesnt work, and they are left with a major    financial setback.  
    The best way to help your child when they receive an autism    diagnosis is to pursue evidence-based treatments that are    recommended by your pediatrician and other specialists.  
    Treatment will most likely involve behavior therapy like ABA.    This therapy has been shown over decades of practice and    numerous medical studies to help people with autism manage    behaviors associated with the condition. Speech therapy and    occupational therapy are also commonly part of an autism    treatment plan, depending on the severity of the disorder and    the childs specific needs.  
    Complementary treatments like art therapy or music therapy can    round out a treatment plan. These creative therapies help to    improve behaviors, socializing, communication, and motor    skills.  
    In 2020, there is     no known cure for autism . While it can be tempting to    pursue any therapy that is promising a miracle treatment, be    aware that these claims are not based in science.    Unfortunately, parents who pursue these false treatments are    wasting money and experiencing immense stress.  
    There are ongoing clinical trials into the efficacy of stem    cell therapy for autism, so well learn more about this    possibility in the coming years. Until then, stick with    therapies your treatment team recommends. This will ensure the    safety and progress of your child.  
Read more:
Stem Cell Therapy for Autism: Effects & Costs in 2020