Stem cell treatment in Germany is under scrutiny after child’s death

The controversy over the death of a child after stem cell therapy at a private hospital in Düsseldorf reached the German parliament last week. In question time the opposition Social Democrat Party asked the government why it had not reacted more quickly to the recent events.

After the death in August 2008 of an 18 month old child with cerebral palsy who had been given a stem cell injection into the brain, the doctor who administered the injection is under criminal investigation for the death.

Annette Widman-Mauz, parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry of Health, pointed out that it was the responsibility of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the regional medical association to intervene …