DTMT NETWORK
A team of doctors at Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children, Mumbai, have saved the life of a 13-month-old baby by performing a successful bone marrow transplant on him.

The baby had Severe Combined Immunodeficiency and needed the transplant to survive. The baby received bone marrow from his grandmother.

On admission and before transplant, Khizr, the baby, was diagnosed with pneumocystis pneumonia, a rare severe infection leading to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). He was on ventilator for 14 days and developed life-threatening viral and bacterial infections. The patient was stabilized with the help of anti-microbial medications.

Khizr was shifted to a bone marrow transplant unit after achieving good control over infections. All the organs were evaluated before transplant and were found to have normal function. The new immune system from the transplanted stem cells started to function after 16 days.

Dr Prashant Hiwarkar, Bone Marrow Transplant Physician, said, “The patient was evaluated for immune deficiency in his first admission in August 2020 while in the paediatric ward. He was diagnosed with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency on September 4, 2020.”

“It is an inherited Primary Immuno Deficiency Disease (PIDD) that is seen in infancy; a genetic defect that affects the T cells. Children with SCID have virtually no immune system to fight common viruses and fungus, and die before their first birthday without a bone marrow transplant,” added Dr Hiwarkar.

“Though primary immune deficiencies are considered to be rare. One in 100,000 people can be immune deficient and life-threatening immunodeficiencies can be completely cured with a bone marrow transplant,” said the doctor.

Khizr’s bone marrow graft is working well and all his affected organs are functioning normally. Khizr will be followed up closely till complete recovery of immune system. It takes about six months to a year for complete recovery of T cells.

Doctors have advised parents to avoid contact with those who have viral illness and avoid going to crowded places till complete recovery of immune system.