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Article: Even a cold could kill.
- Article from:
- The Evening Standard (London, England)
- Article date:
- April 3, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Solo Syndication Limited. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: ED HARRIS
ABOUT 40 babies are born in Britain each year with severe combined immunodeficiency, or SCID, writes Ed Harris.
It is a genetic condition in which a baby's defence or immune system is not properly formed and it means that an infection - even a common cold - can be fatal.
Babies with the condition, which stops the white blood cells which fight infection from being produced, must be isolated from the outside world - hence the name "baby in the bubble".
They are likely to die within a year without a bone marrow transplant.
There is one chance in 50,000 of a baby being born with the condition.
The ...