Bone Marrow

When a child’s bone marrow, which is responsible for producing essential blood cells, is not functioning properly a bone marrow transplant is necessary. The most common reasons for pediatric bone marrow transplants include certain types of cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma, or neuroblastoma, where chemotherapy or radiation therapy damages the bone marrow. Genetic disorders like sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, or severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) can also necessitate a bone marrow transplant. In some cases, autoimmune diseases like aplastic anemia or immune deficiencies may require this procedure. The goal of a bone marrow transplant is to replace the unhealthy or damaged bone marrow with healthy stem cells that can rebuild the blood cell production system, enabling the child's body to regain normal immune function and blood cell production.