Last week of April observed as paediatric transplant week worldwide. Paediatric donation and transplant are sensitive issues that most people don’t want to talk about. As organ size much importance in organ transplant. So children can only benefit from organ donation from young adults or partial donations from living donor.
There are many medical conditions that can prompt to organ failure in early infancy or childhood. Most children on the transplant waiting list need kidney, heart, liver, eyes and other organs. Children can benefit from a deceased donor as well as partial organ donations from the living donor.
Introduction:
April is observed as ” Donate Organ, Save Life” month worldwide, and the last week of April. Specifically dedicated to creating awareness regarding pediatric transplants through various means.
Paediatric donation and transplant are particularly sensitive, emotional and very tragic subject. Parenting is a heavenly privilege and the death of a child is a psychological trauma of unimaginable magnitude. Pediatric transplant is different from adult transplants because the size of an organ is of utmost importance in any transplant procedure and children tend to respond well to child-sized organs. In the absence of any consolidated data regarding Pakistan, we are unable to estimate how many children are in need of a transplant but unofficial data suggest that it may be north of one million children. An educational survey claims that nearly 150000 children die every year due to organ failure in Pakistan. Most pediatric patients that require life-saving transplant between the ages of 1 to 5. Every year thousand of paediatric corneas and other organ transplants are performed globally to bring light, save and heal lives.
Why Children Need Transplant:
Various diseases can progress to organ failure and many of these can prompt the need for an organ transplant as early as early infancy. Injuries and accidents might leave organ transplant the only option in many cases. Careful diagnoses and screening are necessary to evaluate the need of transplant in children. Dr. Faisal Dar Clinic pioneer in regard of child organ transplantation. With robust expertise and a dedicated professional team, you can confide in us.
The need for a pediatric transplant may arise due to various medical conditions. Major contributors discussed as follows.
Kidney Condition:
Kidney Condition that prompt to transplant are acute and chronic kidney failure. Life is precious and life of a child priceless so please keep in mind that only a professionally trained paediatric nephrologist is entitled to evaluate need of kidney transplant in children. Unfortunately malpractice, self medication and quackery is at such a scale in Pakistan, that easily treatable kidneys’s ailments advance to point of no return, where transplant remains the only option. In addition to all these malpractices our adulterated foods, unhygienic drinks and poisonous food colourants may eventually lead to kidney failure in children.
Liver conditions:
Child liver disease need professional diagnoses, treatment and follow ups. We at Dr Faisal Dar Liver clinic, Quaid e Azam Hospital Islamabad offer you these services under one roof and that too with guaranteed care so that you can reach us with the ease of mind.
Liver diseases/conditions that lead to liver failure can include metabolic diseases such as Wilson’s disease and Types 1–4 of Glycogen storage disease, acute and and chronic hepatitis, intrahepatic cholestasis, obstructive biliary tract liver disease, traumatic and post-surgical biliary tract diseases, cirrhosis, Caroli disease, congenital hepatic fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and Budd-Chiari. Biliary atresia is the most common liver disease to require a liver transplant in children.
Heart Conditions:
Heart Conditions that often lead to cardiac transplantation in children include congenital heart diseases and cardiomyopathy. Child morbidity is several times higher in Pakistan due to misdiagnosis of the above mentioned heart conditions.
Lung Condition:
Lung Condition that prompt to organ failure may include cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension.
Minor contributers:
Children suffering from advanced intestinal disease often benefit from intestinal’ tissue transplant. Corneal transplant are performed for congenital blindness, pancreas and other tissue transplants are other form of paediatric transplantation.
As with all other transplant procedures, body proportions are taken into consideration while selecting match for paediatric transplant. Very small children can benefit from organ donations by young adults. It is also possible to use living, deceased or partial organ donation for successful transplant in children.
Paediatric Transplant week give us an opportunity to educate, encourage and facilitate donors. Let’s share successful paediatric transplant stories to encourage others to heal and save lives through eye, kidney, lung and liver donations.
Dr. Faisal Dar (Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute, Lahore)
Call us at: 0341–0543883, 042-111 117 554