Two of the most difficult medical conditions for children and adults of any age are chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation. The body is “stuck” and spinning its wheels in a very toxic situation causing an imbalance and/or disruption to the immune system.
The body always has the potential to heal itself, but the question is: What does the body need to heal? One of the ways healing is possible is through platelet therapies. The question for parents is: Are platelet therapies the right therapies or not for your child?
What Is Biological Medicine?
Platelet therapies fall under the category of biologic medicine, which is a powerful class of medicines derived from bacteria and viruses as well as plant and human cells. This medicine is well-known as medicine from living sources produced through biological processes rather than traditional medicine produced through a chemical combination of drugs.
Besides the super ability of biological medicine to be able to treat diseases that synthetic drugs have failed to do, there are still some concerning negative side effects of biologics that parents need to know before they decide to choose this type of medicine for their child. Some of these concerns are regarding allergic reactions that can be triggered or an immune response such as autoimmunity, possible infections, and/or in some cases even cancer.
Why Platelet Therapies?
Platelet therapies have long been an effective solution for sports injuries to specific parts of the body such as knees, hips, thighs, etc. Platelet therapies can also lower chronic inflammation and alleviate immune dysregulation. Blood and plasma can replace diseased blood with healthier blood or plasma in a blood transfusion that can treat blood disorders, blood cancers and neurological disorders. Essentially this treatment removes harmful antibodies in the blood of a sick person or a person with a neurological disorder by regenerating the body’s tissues with healthier blood.
Autism, PANS/PANDAS and Autoimmune Conditions
There are several platelet therapies that have been used in many chronic medical conditions as well as neurological conditions such as autism spectrum disorders, PANS PANDAS, Lyme disease and autoimmune disorders.
Platelet therapies initially sound miraculous to parents like the perfect solution to autism or PANDAS and PANS. However, what parents need to recognize is that platelet therapies are invasive and need to be done in a controlled medical environment such as a hospital, medical office or in home with a nurse practitioner. Although there can be many profound changes in children doing these therapies, there are also some important factors parents should know before they decide to go down this road with their child.
What Parents Need to Know
In some cases, the first time may be phenomenal and extremely effective for the child; in fact, in some cases the child may seem like they are recovered. However, it is possible that the subsequent treatments may not have the same results as the initial treatment. In most cases, one treatment is usually never enough for a child with autism or PANDAS and PANS and therefore, on-going treatments are required which can become extremely costly. Insurance coverage is usually not possible unless done in a hospital. Keep in mind, that many times these types of therapies may be difficult for the child to do because they require an IV in the arm for usually several hours at one time. Obviously, the child needs to be calm when having an IV, which is a difficult situation for many children with autism to do.
Plasmapheresis
This therapy is used in autoimmune conditions where the body’s cells attack one another such as in autism and PANDAS and PANS. Plasmapheresis removes all the harmful bacteria, viruses, antibodies, abnormal proteins and whatever other pathogens and unwanted substances from the blood and then the plasma is replaced. However, there are considerable risks with this procedure and very few healthcare practitioners will offer this type of procedure for PANDAS and PANS and autism.
IVIG
IVIG is also known as IntraVenous Immunoglobulin therapy and is the most common platelet therapy chosen especially by parents of children with autism. This therapy has a concentrated solution of antibodies known as immunoglobulins directly administered into the veins of the child through an IV line. Many parents see this therapy as very hopeful and often the first time seems miraculous, but for some reason the following attempts are not able to replicate the same results as the first time.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy
PRP is Platelet Rich Plasma and is the standard traditional approach typically used in blood clotting and wound healing to boost tissue regeneration by using the patient’s own blood. The blood is spun in a centrifuge to separate the platelets from other components in the blood to produce a higher concentration of platelets to help promote better healing.
TruDOSE™ Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy
TruDOSE™ is a different type of PRP and a much more personalized approach. Even though PRP is primarily used in injurious cases, TruDose™ can also be used for degenerative and neurological conditions. It is considered a breakthrough in regenerative medicine, which is a type of medicine that “regenerates” diseased and injured tissue and organs by restoring them to normal functioning.
TruDOSE™ has been used to lower systemic inflammation and reduce symptoms in those with neurological conditions, autoimmune diseases, chronic pain, chronic infections, autism and PANS/PANDAS. In clinical settings, TruDose™ has also been found to stimulate cellular regeneration, promotes neurological repair, and support cognition.
In Conclusion
Choosing platelet therapies may be the right choice for your child but in most cases as mentioned, one time will not be enough for autism or PANDAS and PANS. It is still unknown as to why results are inconsistent and why not all children benefit from platelet therapies. If parents are aware of the many factors involved with these therapies, then they can make informed choices.
About Teresa Badillo
In the 1980s she worked overseas in Rome, Italy at the Japanese Embassy in the office of the United Nations (FAO) as a speech writer. She also began her long journey in alternative healing while living in Rome.
After moving to New York and while raising her family of seven children, Teresa embarked on a mission to find alternative non-invasive biomedical, therapeutic, sensory and educational solutions for autism after the diagnosis of her son in the early 1990s.
She won a court case in 1995 against the Rockland County School District in New York to enable ARC Prime Time for Kids to be the first school using Applied Behavioral Analysis teaching method for autism that was paid for by the Rockland County School District. The following year she was instrumental in getting the New York Minister of Education to approve an extension of the ARC license from 5 to 21 years.
She has worked over the years in a number of alternative medical practices with doctors and practitioners organizing various biomedical intervention options for children with autism. Since the mid 1990s, Teresa has served on several boards:
- Foundation for Children with Developmental Disabilities
- The Autoimmunity Project
- Developmental Delayed Resources
- Epidemic Answers
She continues to consult and advise parents on all different areas of autism especially nutritional protocols. Since 2006 she has worked with NutraOrgana, LLC and BioCellular Analysis Testing. She currently researches, writes the newsletter and blogs Teresa’s Corner for The Autism Exchange (AEX). She also writes blog posts and pages for Documenting Hope.
Still Looking for Answers?
Visit the Documenting Hope Practitioner Directory to find a practitioner near you.
Join us inside our online membership community for parents, Healing Together, where you’ll find even more healing resources, expert guidance, and a community to support you every step of your child’s healing journey.
Sources & References
Çelik, T., et al. Treatment of Lyme neuroborreliosis with plasmapheresis. J Clin Apher. 2016 Oct;31(5):476-8.
Eremija, J., et al. Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment improves multiple neuropsychiatric outcomes in patients with pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome. Front Pediatr. 2023 Oct 16:11:1229150.
Hajjari, P., et al. Paediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG): comprehensive open-label trial in ten children. BMC Psychiatry. 2022 Aug 6;22(1):535.
Jain, N.K., et al. Platelet-rich plasma: a healing virtuoso. Blood Res. 2016 Mar;51(1):3-5.
Kumar, K., et al. Comparison of Platelet-Rich Plasma and Corticosteroid Injections for Chronic Plantar Fasciitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Cureus. 2024 May 4;16(5):e59656.
Melamed, I.R., et al. A pilot study of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin 5% for autism: Impact on autism spectrum and markers of neuroinflammation. Autism Res. 2018 Mar;11(3):421-433.
Melamed, I., et al. Evaluation of Intravenous Immunoglobulin in Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2021 Mar;31(2):118-128.
Melamed, I., et al. IVIG response in pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome correlates with reduction in pro-inflammatory monocytes and neuropsychiatric measures.
Front Immunol. 2024 Oct 3:15:1383973.
Rossignol, D.A., et al. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Immunoglobulin G Abnormalities and the Therapeutic Use of Intravenous Immunoglobulins (IVIG) in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Pers Med. 2021 May 30;11(6):488.
Resources
Articles
Lowery, Heather. The Next Big Thing in PRP Therapy. New York Center for Innovative Medicine.
Tiger Admits to Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy, What's That? ABC News, 7 Apr 2010.
Wernau, Julie. Health Insurers Deny 850 Million Claims a Year. The Few Who Appeal Often Win. Wall Street Journal, 12 Feb 2025.
