Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease (SCID) is a condition in which there are no or abnormally low
levels of T cells and/or low, high or normal numbers of B cells and NK cells. The prevalence is
1/50-100,000 newborns.
In the absence of treatment, early signs of the disease begin to appear during the first few months of
life and may include :
- Growth retardation
- Diarrhea
- Frequent infections
- Ear infections
- Lung infections
- Candidiasis
- Infections that persist despite treatment
- Pneumonia
- Meningitis
- Septicemia
Babies with SCID are protected by their mother's immune system for a short period of time after birth.
Neonatal screening for SCID before symptoms appear makes it possible to perform a bone marrow transplant
and thus save the newborn.