KOCHI: Stem cell treatment has given a lease of life to three-year-old Savio of Puthenvelikkara here. The boy, suffering from Global Delay Development (GDD), a neurological disorder, is showing an improvement after undergoing stem cell treatment earlier this year. He underwent the treatment at Mumbai’s NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute.
Dr Nandini Gokulchandran, deputy director and head of medical services at NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute, said GDD affects one to three out of every 1,000 children born. ‘’However, it is much higher in infants born with very low weight and in premature infants,” she said. “The predominant symptoms and signs of GDD are related to motor difficulties as a consequence of brain damage.”
Savio was diagnosed with delayed development at nine months, with his motor and speech milestones developing late.
The child had difficulty standing and walking, poor speech and orientation, and short attention span which left him unable to engage in play for long. He also communicated through only one or two words.