Pediatric Organ Donation in the United States

In a first-time study to look at the potential for organ donation from dying infants in the intensive care unit; researchers from Harvard, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Boston and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center demonstrated that approximately 8 percent of NICU deaths could be eligible for organ donation following a cardiac death.

The reason behind the study, according to Dr Richard Parad, was due to the inability to act on direct requests from the parents who are faced with the loss of their child and wanting the child to be an organ donor. Dr. Parad explained that some parents want their baby to donate organs to help ensure that at least one positive thing comes from their tragic loss.

Currently, according to pediatric organ donation/transplant criteria, infants and young children in need of an organ can only get one from an older child, or receive part of an organ from a living adult donor. Additionally, there is a challenge in making a larger organ fit into a smaller infant body.

Researchers who conducted the study looked at all infant deaths for three medical units between 2005 and 2007. They were able to determine that eligible donors based on criteria developed with the help of transplantation surgeons from the New England Organ Bank. Out of 192 deaths, based on the time of death after the infant was removed from life support, researchers found that 18 kidneys, 14 livers, and 10 hearts could have been made available for transplant but were not.

Conclusion

Pediatric organ donation and organ transplantation can and does have a very significant impact on the life of the recipient, as well as the family. Pediatricians must become better familiarized with the evolving national strategies involving organ Procurement and transplantation to help the family grasp its benefits and to reshape public policies that will aid in the effort to provide a system that is fair and equitable to adults and children.

According to the Journal of Pediatrics, the role of organ Procurement organizations must be fully supported in order to ensure the family is approached in a systematic method by people highly trained in the psychological, social and medical aspects of organ donation. It’s been statistically proven that the rate of families who would elect organ donation following the death of a child could be increased past the national average of 40 percent to approximately 70 percent by using hospital or organ Procurement organization staff, and by demystifying the death notification and organ consent processes.

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Dealing with the loss of a child is devastating on a family, but knowing that his or her organs could possibly be used to save the lives of other children has helped many families make the loss a more positive experience. Because the death of a child is not often foreseen, many families have not thought about the possibility of organ donation. Pediatricians, child advocacy groups and other child care institutions can help to increase awareness of the need for pediatric organ donation and help to educate families about all the good that can come from it.