|
Indian Pediatr 2013;50: 158 |
|
Are Fathers Catching up with Mothers in Liver
Donation?
|
Vidyut Bhatia and Anupam Sibal
Apollo Center for Advanced Pediatrics and Center for
Hepatobiliary Surgery,
Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Email: [email protected]
|
In the last decade, pediatric liver transplantation (LT) has
become established therapy for liver failure in our country
[1-3]. With growing awareness about the success of LT and
safety of the donor operation, more parents are willing to
act as donors. It is believed that in India there is
apprehension amongst the male members of the family to come
forward for kidney donation [4]. To study whether there is
any difference in donor demographics pertaining to liver
transplantation we carried out a retrospective review.
A total of 46 pediatric living related
liver transplants where a parent was the donor were
performed between 1998 and May 2012. The mother was the
donor in 25 (8 pre-2006, 17 post-2008) cases and the father
was the donor in 21 cases (3 pre-2006, 18 post-2008). Post
2006 the proportion of fathers as donors increased from 27.3
% to 51.4%, whereas the proportion of mothers decreased from
72.7% to 48.6%. There was a significant (P< 0.01)
difference in the sex ratio of the parental donor when
compared between the two eras. The year 2007 was chosen as
the cut off between two eras because it is considered as a
watershed in our transplant program with a substantial
increase in the number of transplants and also it marked a
decade of successful liver transplantation in India.
Although the donors are decided on the basis of their
anatomic suitability to donate, of late there has been an
increase in the proportion of fathers as donors. This could
be due to greater acceptability of transplantation. The
factors responsible for this very welcome development need
to be studied.
References
1. Kelly DA, Sibal A. Liver
transplantation in children. Indian Pediatr. 2006;43:389-91.
2. Poonacha P, Sibal A, Soin AS,
Rajashekar MR, Rajakumari DV. India’s first successful
pediatric liver transplant. Indian Pediatr. 2001;38:287-91.
3. Kaur S, Wadhwa N, Sibal A, Jerath N,
Sasturkar S. Outcome of live donor liver transplantation in
Indian children with bodyweight <7.5 kg. Indian Pediatr.
2011;48:51-4.
4. Bal MM, Saikia B. Gender bias in renal
transplantation: are women alone donating kidneys in India?
Transplant Proc. 2007;39:2961-3.
|
|
|
|