Immediate and long-term somatic effects, and health-related quality of life of BM donation during early childhood. A single-center report in 210 pediatric donors

Bone Marrow Transplant. 2013 Jan;48(1):40-5. doi: 10.1038/bmt.2012.102. Epub 2012 Jun 18.

Abstract

Since 1968, when Leiden undertook the first successful European pediatric BM transplantation with a 7-year-old sibling donor, more than 300 young children have donated BM in our unit. We first retrospectively studied a cohort of 210 donors, younger than 13 years at donation, to survey procedures of donor eligibility and study immediate effects of BM donation. We then performed a long-term follow-up (FU) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) study. Despite documentation of previous medical conditions, no child was declared unfit to donate. We found that iron deficiency anemia or low-iron stores in BM did not result in treatment or extended FU. Harvest volumes exceeded 15 mL/kg in 65% of donors, with more than half requiring allogeneic blood transfusions. Donors had no structured FU after their first post-donation control. In this study, 25% of donors reported at least one somatic complaint at long-term FU. Finally long-term HRQoL revealed high scores in most subdomains (representing a higher QoL), compared to norm groups. These results indicate the need for development of (inter)national guidelines for pediatric stem cell donor care management.

MeSH terms

  • Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / etiology
  • Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / prevention & control
  • Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / psychology
  • Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / therapy
  • Blood Transfusion / psychology
  • Bone Marrow Cells / cytology*
  • Bone Marrow Cells / pathology
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation / adverse effects
  • Child
  • Child Development*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cohort Studies
  • Directed Tissue Donation*
  • Donor Selection
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Medical Records
  • Netherlands
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Prospective Studies
  • Psychology, Child*
  • Quality of Life*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Siblings
  • Tissue Donors / psychology*
  • Transfusion Reaction