Singapore SCID case: Indian-origin baby beats rare disorder; Stem-cell transplant saves life

A 19-month-old Indian-origin boy in Singapore has made a remarkable recovery from a rare and life-threatening genetic disorder, thanks to a timely stem-cell transplant, according to a report by The Straits Times.Mannat Singh was just six days old when doctors diagnosed him with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), a condition that left him dangerously vulnerable—even to something as common as the flu.Born in Singapore, Mannat holds the distinction of being the first baby in the country to be diagnosed with SCID at birth. He underwent a successful stem-cell transplant in 2023, a crucial step that came before the onset of symptoms. Today, Mannat is thriving, the newspaper reported.His specific condition, known as Artemis SCID, is an extremely rare and recessive form of radiosensitive SCID. This meant certain treatments like radiation and specific scans were off-limits.Without intervention, Mannat would not have survived beyond his first birthday, the report said.His mother, Harminder Kaur, a 39-year-old nurse, spoke about the emotional weight she carried after learning about her son’s condition.“Because I made him this way,” she said, recalling her initial feelings of guilt and fear.His father, Harminder Singh, also 39 and an IT consultant, admitted the prognosis was hard to accept.“It did not help our state of mind when his odds were stacked against him,” he said.Now, with Mannat healthy and growing, Kaur said, “I feel now that life has returned to normal and we have put the past behind us.”The diagnosis was made at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) through the National Expanded Newborn Screening (NENS) programme. Launched in 2006, NENS initially aimed to screen all newborns in Singapore for metabolic and heritable diseases. In 2019, the programme broadened its scope to include five additional treatable childhood-onset conditions, including SCID and cystic fibrosis.Dr Bianca Chan, a consultant in the rheumatology and immunology service at KKH, emphasized the importance of early detection.“The highest success is when it is performed within the first three to four months of life, before the baby develops significant infections. This makes SCID screening at birth crucial for early diagnosis to actively prevent infection,” Dr Chan said.She added that the only real cure for SCID is a bone marrow transplant from a healthy donor. Stem cells from the donor’s bone marrow can develop into the T-cells that SCID babies critically lack, allowing them to build a functioning immune system.(With PTI inputs)