Pediatric Stem Cell & Bone Marrow Transplant

Pediatric Bone Marrow & Stem Cell Transplant

Our pediatric bone marrow transplant experts provide highly personalized care to young patients who require the most advanced diagnostic and treatment approaches. Backed by a full care system, we treat infants as young as three months with a seamless transition to recovery.

One of the hallmarks of our transplant service is our relationship-based care. We communicate with families and primary care doctors to develop a care plan that meets each patient’s individual needs. Our program offers comprehensive services, including follow-up care and monitoring. Other services include pre-transplant assessment, donor selection options and evaluation, parent and patient education, and psychosocial services.

An affiliate of the National Marrow Donor Program, our bone marrow transplant program is among the most accomplished and respected in the nation. Our young patients also benefit from the latest clinical research and advanced medicine for bone marrow transplantation.

Our experienced team has accreditation from the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy. We are also a member of the National Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium. In addition, we are nationally designated Center of Excellence. This means the UH pediatric bone marrow transplant program exceeds national standards in patient care, laboratory practices and patient outcomes.

Conditions Treated by Bone Marrow Transplant

Thanks to ongoing research, bone marrow transplants have become an effective approach to treat certain cancers and blood disorders. We treat a broad range of pediatric cancers including:

We also treat pediatric blood disorders and other serious conditions with bone marrow and stem cell transplant expertise, including:

Anemia
Aplastic anemia in children
Hemophilia
Immune thrombocytopenia purpura
Inherited immune deficiency syndromes (SCID)
Metabolic disorders
Neutrophil disorders
Sickle cell disease in children
Thalassemias
Thrombosis/thrombophilia

Advanced Treatments and Transplant Services for Children

Stem cell and bone marrow transplantation are rapidly expanding as an important therapeutic approach to many diseases. Today, we have more options for patients who have difficulties finding a matched donor. Using alternative stem cell donors, we can provide a potentially lifesaving option for more patients.

There are several types of bone marrow transplants depending on the patient, the diagnosis and the donor including:

Matched related donor transplant: A sibling who has the same bone marrow type and the same parents
Matched unrelated donor transplant: Volunteers who have the same bone marrow type as the patient
Haplo-identical transplants: “Half” matched family members, often a parent
Single and double umbilical cord blood transplant: A single or double umbilical cord blood transplant is an alternative source for stem cell transplant

For unrelated donors, our transplant program uses numerous cord blood banks that are available nationally and internationally.

Our connection to UH Rainbow's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) allows us to perform bone marrow transplantation on infants as young as 3 months.

Collaborative Approach Offers Expertise and Follow-up Care

Transplants especially require a multidisciplinary approach to care, because they affect every organ. As part of an expansive UH health system, our pediatric transplant specialists work in collaboration with an extensive team of experts, including:

Bone marrow transplant and stem cell therapy specialists
Oncologists (cancer)
Surgeons
Specialists in transplant-related complications (including heart and lung physicians)
Psychologists
Child life specialists
Nurses, advanced practice nurses and physician assistants
Social workers
Supportive care personnel

Superior Outcomes 100 Days After Stem Cell Transplant

The bone marrow transplant program offers extraordinary outcomes. Our 100-day patient survival rate for bone marrow transplant patients exceeds 96 percent.

UH Rainbow is consistently ranked among the best children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. We provide compassionate, comprehensive care for patients of all ages with a pediatric cancer or blood disease.