Hospital stay

When an infant has biological indicators consistent with leukemia, he or she is admitted to the hospital for further testing and evaluation.

 Once a diagnosis of infantile ALL is made, through collection of blood, bone marrow and spinal fluid, several things are done to begin the treatment process.  First, the infant is classified as low, medium, or high risk depending on certain test results.

 While these tests are being processed a permanent venous access device is placed to allow for painless delivery of medications, chemotherapy, blood products and nutrition, as well as utilized for frequent blood draws.  Once this central IV line has been placed, the infant will begin chemotherapeutic treatment, with the goal of complete remission, or total absence of leukemic cells after the first group of chemotherapeutic medications is given.  Once remission is achieved, the infant will receive several additional rounds of chemotherapeutic treatment to ensure the eradication of leukemic cells.

 Those infants who fall into the high risk group will begin a work-up for a hemopoetic stem cell (also known as bone marrow) transplant.  If these infants are able to achieve and maintain remission status and have a stem cell donor match, he or she will receive a stem cell transplant within eight months of diagnosis, thus the importance of having a large bone marrow donor pool to select from.

 Should an infant have a recurrence of leukemic cells at any point during treatment, a stem cell transplant would be considered.  The entire course of treatment for infantile ALL is roughly two years, of both in-hospital and outpatient treatment.  Side effects that can be seen during the course of treatment can include nausea and vomiting, hair loss, mucositis (or inflammation of the lining of the gastrointestinal tract), infection, difficulty feeding, etc.

The nurses on 6 North, Children’s Hospital Boston’s oncology unit, do their best to make the inpatient stay as stress-free and enjoyable as possible, given the circumstances.  We have a large activity room, filled with toys, books, games, and crafts.

 A wonderful child life specialist staffs the activity room and helps children find ways to express themselves through play and activities that are best for their age group.

 In addition we have a Resource Room which is stocked with movies, video games, computers and educational material for patients and families.

 We also encourage trips to the Garden for fresh air and a dose of sunlight. (Garden adventures were a particular favorite of Turlough’s!) 

Other exciting events include the arrival of the “Treat Train”, a small wagon, which comes every Wednesday with a different treat, the clown visit for some laughs, Friday night pizza dinners and parent group which is held once a week for venting, chatting, asking questions, and eating and drinking free coffee and bagels. 

The 6 North staff also like to dress up for Halloween- this year we were bugs and fairies! Finally, we encourage patients and families to bring in things from home such as special bedding, pictures and toys that make them feel comfortable.  We realize that this experience can be less than ideal but we are happy to do anything to help!