Bone Marrow Transplantation In Children

27 Aug, 2024

Dr. Rajesh Bollam

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a medical procedure used to treat children with certain types of cancer, blood disorders, and immune system conditions. It involves grafting healthy bone marrow stem cells in place of damaged or sick bone marrow. These stem cells may be obtained by an allogeneic transplant or an autologous transplant from the child's own body.

Types of Bone Marrow Transplants:

Autologous Transplant: Prior to therapy, the child's own stem cells are collected and stored. Following high-dose radiation therapy or chemotherapy, the child's body receives the stem cells back.

Allogeneic Stem Cell: Donors of stem cells are often siblings or suitable unrelated donors. When a child's own bone marrow becomes damaged, this kind of transplant is more frequently performed.

What is the process of Bone Marrow Transplant for children?

Diagnosis and Evaluation: The initial step in the bone marrow transplant procedure is a thorough diagnostic and evaluation. This involves a comprehensive assessment of the patient's medical history, a physical examination, and a number of tests to evaluate their general health and verify their transplant eligibility.

Finding a Donor: A eligible bone marrow donor must be found for the transplant to be successful. For young patients, a sibling who is a near match can sometimes be the best choice. Alternative sources, such as unrelated donors or umbilical cord blood units, can be considered if a sibling is not available.

Conditioning: The patient goes through a course of treatment prior to the transplant, which may include radiation therapy, high-dose chemotherapy, or both. In order to make room for the new stem cells to successfully transplant, this procedure helps to destroy any cancer cells that may still be present and suppress the patient's immune system.

Stem Cell Infusion: The actual bone marrow transplant is performed by infusing stem cells. The donor or umbilical cord blood is utilized to extract healthy stem cells, which are then injected intravenously into the patient's bloodstream. After migrating to the bone marrow, these stem cells progressively begin to produce healthy blood cells.

Engraftment and Recovery: The post-transplant period is crucial as the patient's body gets used to the new stem cells. The term "engraftment" describes the transplanted cells' effective implantation in the patient's bone marrow. Patients are continuously watched for infection, graft-versus-host disease, and engraftment throughout this phase (GVHD).

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Bone Marrow Transplantation In Children

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