Newborn donates organs in groundbreaking neonatal procedure

In an act of extraordinary courage and kindness, the parents of a newborn baby girl. who had suffered severe oxygen deprivation before birth resulting in brain damage, donated her organs following her death, thereby allowing doctors in the UK to perform the first organ transplants from a newborn.

The six-day-old child, who was described as being "in extremely poor health", provided two separate recipients with both her kidneys as well as liver cells after being born via emergency caeserean section in Hammersmith Hospital, London.

While highlighting the importance of the groundbreaking medical procedure, Prof. James Neuberger of NHS Blood and Transplant also acknowledged the tragic situation which allowed the transplant to come to pass, saying; "We are pleased the first transplant of organs from a newborn in the UK was a success and we praise the brave decision of the family to donate their baby's organs. The sad reality is for everybody to get the lifesaving transplant they are desperately in need of, more families who are facing the tragic loss of their young children will need to agree to donation."

Australia, the US and Germany all currently perform newborn transplants, but as it stands at the moment, clinicians in the UK are not permitted to declare brain death in a child under eight weeks old, but this guideline is currently under review, a step which is welcomed by NHS blood and Transplant.

Commenting on the family of the newborn involved in the case. Dr. Guarav Atreja said: "This turned out to be a positive thing for the family. They could see something positive out of a negative experience."