Rejection Is Reduced in Thoracic Organ Recipients When Transplanted in the First Year of Life.

Outcomes after listing for primary transplantation for infants with unoperated-on non-hypoplastic left heart syndrome congenital heart disease: A multi-institutional study

“…1 A role for infant heart transplantation as primary therapy for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) was established more than 20 years ago. 2 Infant heart transplant recipients have had the longest graft survival times of any heart transplant recipient 3 and are at lower risk for rejection 4 and transplant coronary arteriopathy. 5 The use of primary heart transplantation for HLHS has diminished over time due to a limited donor pool 6 and considerable improvement in outcomes with staged, palliative surgery.…”

Is lung transplantation survival better in infants? Analysis of over 80 infants

“…11 Some studies have demonstrated that infant LTx grafts have lower rates of acute rejection and bronchiolitis obliterans. 12,13 A study of over 200 heart and LTxs demonstrated that age o1…”

“…13 It has been proposed that the immune systems of infants are more tolerant of transplanted organs than the immune systems of older children. 13 It can be surmised that the fewer rejection episodes seen in infants would contribute to improved graft survival.…”

“…13 It has been proposed that the immune systems of infants are more tolerant of transplanted organs than the immune systems of older children. 13 It can be surmised that the fewer rejection episodes seen in infants would contribute to improved graft survival. Another example of how immunologic immaturity and immune tolerance in infants may positively impact post-transplant graft function is the first (only) reported success of an ABO-incompatible LTx in an infant.…”

Treatment of Adenovirus Pneumonia With Cidofovir in Pediatric Lung Transplant Recipients

“…Although older pediatric and adult lung transplant recipients can also develop this infection, 2,5-7 young children may be particularly at risk and therefore warrant a higher index of suspicion and closer surveillance. At the same time, because younger children undergoing heart and heartlung transplantation are at lower risk of graft rejection than older children and adolescents, 26,27 avoidance of anti-lymphocyte globulin for augmented immunosuppression and the use of lower intensity immunosuppression in young children may be indicated to decrease the risk of severe outcomes with adenovirus pneumonia.…”