Last spring, 5-year-old Xiao Xiao always yelled that her legs hurt, and Xiao Xiao’s mother thought it was growing pains and didn’t care, but then Xiao Xiao always had a low fever and there were many bleeding spots on her feet. The doctor took the child to the community hospital for a checkup and told her, “The child’s blood tests are very abnormal and she probably has leukemia.” “Leukemia?” Xiaoxiao’s mother couldn’t believe her ears when she heard this term, “Impossible, right? She had heard that leukemia was blood cancer, and that was a very scary disease. On the referral of the community hospital doctor, Xiaoxiao’s mom and dad immediately brought Xiaoxiao to the pediatric outpatient clinic of Peking University People’s Hospital, where she was seen by Zhang Le Ping, a pediatric hematologist. After performing a bone marrow aspiration on Xiaoxiao, Director Zhang told Xiaoxiao’s parents that Xiaoxiao indeed had leukemia, specifically acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The young parents were in tears as they repeatedly asked Director Zhang, “How could our precious son have leukemia? Can leukemia be cured?” Director Zhang patiently comforted them and introduced them to the knowledge of leukemia and the treatment of pediatric leukemia – Why does a baby get leukemia? The cause of leukemia is still unclear, and more evidence suggests that it is related to certain viral infections or excessive exposure to radioactive substances and certain chemicals such as benzene, and that some babies with the disease have a family history of blood or tumor disorders. However, external factors always work through internal factors, so the child’s own low immune function is the main condition for the development of the disease, and strengthening the body can reduce the attack of cancer-causing factors. How to determine that your baby has leukemia? The early manifestations of leukemia vary, most of them are irregular high fever and low fever, which are often treated as a common cold at first. If the child’s condition does not improve, he or she also has pallor that worsens day by day, weakness, excessive sweating, fatigue and weight loss, and bleeding spots or bleeding spots on the skin, nosebleeds, gum bleeding and other bleeding tendencies. There are also a few children who first show pain in bones and joints, some show swollen gums, mouth ulcers, and skin rashes or nodules or lumps. Other children show painless progressive enlargement of lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, and groin. When some of these symptoms appear, parents must be alert and take their children to the hospital immediately for examination. Doctors will perform routine blood tests and other related examinations, but to confirm the diagnosis of leukemia, a bone marrow aspiration test is required. Many parents worry that bone marrow aspiration will cause great harm to their child, but it is actually a very less invasive and safer procedure. Can babies with leukemia be saved? In recent years, the treatment of leukemia has achieved promising results, especially in children, which is significantly better than that of adults. More than 90% of childhood leukemia is acute, and 70% to 80% of acute leukemia is lymphocytic leukemia, although the onset is fierce and progresses quickly, but if timely and effective treatment, the outcome is still very good. At present, the cure rate of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in developed countries such as the United States and Europe has reached more than 90%, and China has also reached more than 80%. How to treat leukemia in babies? The most common type of childhood leukemia is acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which is very sensitive to common chemotherapeutic drugs; therefore, combination chemotherapy with multiple drugs is the best way to treat this childhood leukemia. The treatment of childhood leukemia is a complex and ongoing process, and once diagnosed, it must be treated in the hematology department of a regular hospital. Any interruption or neglect of treatment can lead to a relapse of the child’s disease, rendering previous efforts meaningless and bringing irreparable consequences to the child. Bone marrow transplantation is only necessary for those few children with high-risk types of acute leukemia, chronic granulocytic leukemia, recurrent or unremitting episodes, and the risk of bone marrow transplantation is now much lower than before. The problem of limited donor sources for only children is being addressed by expanding the blood stem cell bank and conducting cord blood transplants. How can parents care for their babies with leukemia? First, rest and avoid strenuous activities. For babies who have just fallen ill, the disease is often heavy and requires bed rest, while children who have reached remission after chemotherapy can move appropriately, but do not overexert themselves. Second, pay attention to protective isolation to prevent infection. The family living environment should be relatively hygienic and comfortable, with windows frequently opened to keep the indoor air fresh. Children should be allowed to go outdoors for more fresh air and moderate fitness activities, but be careful not to go to crowded or closed public places. Avoid contact with patients with respiratory infections, and if the parents have a cold, they should be accompanied by other family members. Pay attention to oral and skin cleaning, brush teeth with soft bristles, if platelets are low, do not brush teeth, but use mouthwash to rinse mouth. Change underwear regularly, and wash and dry clothes and blankets regularly. Pay attention to keeping warm and increase or decrease clothes according to the temperature change. Also pay attention to the prevention of anal infection, daily after the stool can be used to scrub the perianal area with warm water or 1:5000 potassium permanganate sitz bath. Third, pay attention to diet and nutrition hygiene. Give high-calorie, high-protein, nutritious and easy-to-digest food, encourage children to drink more water, and eat vitamin-rich foods such as vegetables and fruits. Eat high-fiber foods to keep the bowels open and avoid constipation that can lead to anal fissures. Avoid eating greasy and spicy foods. Do not eat hard food to avoid bleeding in the mouth and digestive tract. Use utensils exclusively and wash and disinfect them after use before using them again to avoid gastrointestinal infections. Choose fruits with peels that are easy to disinfect, and avoid eating unhygienic food. Fourth, pay attention to the observation of changes in the condition and regular follow-up visits to the doctor. During the treatment of leukemia, the baby needs regular chemotherapy. During the inter-chemotherapy period, you can go home to recuperate, but if there is fever, worsening anemia or bleeding tendency, you should immediately go to the hospital for treatment. Fifth, the child should be encouraged to gain confidence in overcoming the disease. Take care to avoid words and any stimulation to the child. For older children, pay attention to the way of communication and encourage the child to build confidence to overcome the disease! With the comfort and help of Director Zhang Le Ping, Xiaoxiao’s parents gradually calmed down, gathered courage and actively cooperated with the doctor to give chemotherapy to their baby. During the treatment period, they have been following the doctor’s instructions and taking care of the baby carefully. During this year-long chemotherapy process, the strong mom and dad and Xiaoxiao got through a difficult time together, and every time the bone marrow was rechecked, the results showed that the bone marrow was in complete remission. The doctor said that Xiaoxiao’s treatment was ideal and that in a few months, Xiaoxiao would be able to stop taking her medication. Xiaoxiao’s parents were so happy that they told the parents of their newly ill children: Have faith! Childhood leukemia can be beaten!