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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Politics
Ed Pilkington

Autistic children being injected with unapproved stem cell treatments supported by RFK Jr

Child in hospital gown touches fingers together
‘The procedure can involve the child being sedated with ketamine before receiving intravenous doses of millions of stem cells.’ Composite: The Guardian/Getty Images/Alamy

Autistic children as young as 18 months old are being injected with human stem cells derived from umbilical cords in unapproved, unproven and potentially harmful “treatments” that scientists warn are proliferating across the US under the active encouragement of the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr.

Clinics in Florida, Texas and other states are selling what they bill as “regenerative medicine” to families with autistic children who have intensive care needs. Parents who have taken their children through the process talked about their hopes and fears for a therapy that appears to be gaining ground in the US.

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