Scientists from Drexel University found that more than 12 thousand of the 21 thousand babies who died in the United States in 2020 could be organ donors. The work is available at: European Organ Transplantation Association Congress (ESOT) 2023.
Worldwide, 15-30% of patients on organ waiting lists die each year. Previous studies have confirmed the possibility of transplanting kidneys from pediatric donors to adults. In 2018, kidneys were the most frequently transplanted organ in the EU, accounting for more than 60% of all transplants.
In a new study, scientists revealed that more than 12 thousand of the 21 thousand babies who died in 2020 could be organ donors. Kidneys from newborns were better in many respects than organs from living adult donors. There is evidence that organs transplanted in babies can function for more than 25 years.
Recognizing newborn babies as potential organ donors could help solve the shortage of kidneys for transplantation, scientists say.
“Considering the highly emotional nature of this topic and the ethical and legal considerations, the findings of the study highlight the importance of recognizing newborns as potential organ donors,” said Professor Gabriel Oniscu, ESOT President-Elect and ESOT 2023 Congress Co-Chair.
As human life increases and chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity and liver diseases become more common, the need for organ transplantation increases and the number of available organs decreases. As of January 2022, there were 100,000 patients on the kidney transplant waiting list in the United States, compared to only 24,669 kidneys the previous year.
used to be a doctor saidHow receiving one and a half pints of bone marrow affects the donor’s health.
Source: Gazeta
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