A six-day-old baby who suffered brain damage due to lack of oxygen during pregnancy has donated her organs to enable others live – and her kidneys have ended up saving the lives of two infants in the UK. This infant organ transplant operation was the first of its kind within the United Kingdom, even though it had been performed successfully in Germany, Australia, and the United States.
When the parents of the newborn baby girl were told that their daughter was brain dead and would not live, they had nothing for it, but they did not hesitate to consider donating her organs to save others when they were informed it would be a noble idea to consider.
“When we explained to the parents of the baby girl it could be possible to save some lives with their help they were only too keen,” Dr. Gaurav Atreja, a neonatologist at Imperial College Healthcare, told The Telegraph. “They came back wanting to speak to me again within a couple of hours.
“They didn’t need any persuading – not that that is something we would ever try to do,” said Atreja. “It’s a decision that has to come from the parents without any pressure.”
Doctors would be glad to explore more of such options to enable them save more babies’ lives, but the current guidelines in the UK limits their ability to source for organ donors. However, healthcare professionals aim to hold conferences to address this challenge so that they can easily identify potential organ donors and work on organ transplants for more patients.
Prof. James Neuberger of NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We are pleased the first transplant of organs from a newborn in the UK was a success and we praise the brave decision of the family to donate their baby’s organs. The sad reality is for everybody to get the lifesaving transplant they are desperately in need of, more families who are facing the tragic loss of their young child will need to agree to donation.”
Dr. Atreja, who was involved in the transplant added that “This turned out to be a positive thing for the family. They could see something positive out of a negative experience. We hope that neonatal units across the UK will actively start thinking about this noble cause.”
The kind parents of the baby organ donor were not identified.
Official waiting lists suggest some 15 infants under the age of two currently need organs across the UK. But experts say the number may be higher – many do not make it on to the list because of the scarcity of options, however, the NHS Blood and Transplant said the size of the donor organ is often critical to success, meaning organs from older donors will not always work.
Medical sources say the organs of infants are suitable for infants, teens, and adults alike.