Neonatal kidney transplants may be missed opportunity in organ shortage
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Key takeaways:
- Of 21,000 infants who died in 2020, more than 12,000 were viable donors.
- Neonatal kidneys have substantial catch-up growth and long-term function.
More than 12,000 of 21,000 infants who died in 2020 could have been considered as viable organ donors, according to data from researchers at Allegheny General Hospital.
“We believe that neonatal kidney transplantation offers a ‘game-changing’ solution to the organ shortage crisis,” Dai Nghiem, MD, of the Westminster, California-based hospital, said in a press release. “This study looked at the U.S. alone, but if you replicate the findings across the globe then we have a huge untapped pool of available organs for transplants.”
The research, which was presented at the European Society for Organ Transplantation Congress, highlighted a death rate of 5,000 individuals each year who are waiting for a transplant.
“As of January 2022, there were in the U.S.,100,000 patients on the waitlist, with only 24,669 kidneys transplanted the previous year,” Nghiem and colleagues wrote in the study.
To assess the feasibility of organ donation, investigators studied neonatal mortality rates in the U.S. and long-term development of transplanted neonatal kidneys. Researchers also considered ethical, social and medicolegal aspects associated with neonatal brain death.
Findings indicated that of the 21,000 infants who died in 2020, 8,600 with lethal congenital malformations; 2,380 with central nervous system injuries; and 1,260 with respiratory distress may have been considered as potential organs donors.
The study also revealed evidence supporting the use of en bloc infant kidneys for transplantation, which have shown catch-up growth; long-term function of more than 25 years, exceeding living donor kidneys; are not susceptible to hyperfiltration injury; and can be transplanted safely with current techniques, according to the researchers.
“While recognizing the highly emotive nature of this issue and the ongoing ethical and legal considerations, the study’s findings underscore the importance of acknowledging neonates as potential organ donors,” Gabriel C. Oniscu, MD, ESOT president elect and co-chair of the ESOT Congress, said in the release. “This proactive approach aims to heighten awareness among neonatal intensive care unit professionals regarding the possibilities of neonatal donation, promoting discussions with parents that could help save many lives.”
Reference:
Neonatal kidney transplantation offers new hope in the organ shortage crisis, study shows. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1001109. Published Sept. 16, 2023. Accessed Sept. 21, 2023.
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Nghiem D, et al. Neonatal organ donation for kidney shortage; Is this the time? Presented at: European Society for Organ Transplantation Congress; Sept. 17-20, 2023; Athens (hybrid meeting).
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