MarrowkidzInformation and advice for children affected by aplastic anaemia Welcome to MarrowKidz from The Aplastic Anaemia Trust. Here you can find resources for children affected by aplastic anaemia. Whether you have been diagnosed with aplastic anaemia yourself, or someone in your family or a friend has been diagnosed, this is where you'll find expert information about what's happening, and advice from other children who have been through aplastic anaemia too! A note for adults and teens: We've moved some things around! You'll now find treatment information, resources for parents, schools and teenagers on our main website. Marrowkidz About your AA and treatment Advice from other children Support a friend or family member Watch videos More goodies Anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) treatment What is anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) treatment? ATG is a kind of treatment that might be given to you in the hospital if you have aplastic anaemia. Your bone marrow is like a factory where your stem cells are made. These stem cells will develop into different kinds of blood cells. Your immune system works to keep your body safe and protect against diseases and infections. With aplastic anaemia, your immune system can end up working too hard and begin fighting against your bone marrow. This can mean that the bone marrow does not make enough of the stem cells you need. ATG is a kind of medicine that quietens down the immune system for a short time. It is given in small doses. This gives your bone marrow time to get better and start making stem cells again. What happens when I go for ATG treatment? How long does it take? The treatment might take up to a day for each dose, and somebody will stay with you while this is happening. You can also have a book with you, a tablet to watch TV on, or a games console to help pass the time. Is ATG treatment safe? At the start, you will be given a small amount of ATG to see if your body can take it without any difficulties. If there are any problems, then the treatment won’t happen. Your doctor will decide with you and your family what to do next. It is important that you tell somebody if you feel poorly while it is happening or at any time afterwards, so that they can help get your treatment right. After my ATG treatment You will probably stay in hospital for a week or two after the ATG treatment. After that, your parents or carers will bring you back for appointments, so that doctors can carry on making sure you’re OK. There might be some foods that you can’t eat, or should eat more of, and your doctor will talk to you about this. Going home It can feel like a long time before things are back to normal, and we know it can be tough. When you go home you will need to take extra care, because your body won’t be as good at fighting infections for a while. Your doctors will talk to you about what you can and can’t do. You will need to carry on taking medicine to help protect you from infections. We know that having aplastic anaemia can be difficult. If you have any worries or questions about your treatment, always talk to an adult, who will be able to help you. Your family, your brother, your sister, your friends and your doctors are all here to help you as much as they can. Would you like this as a book? You can also order this information as a free printed booklet, or ask a parent to order one for you here: Order one now Manage Cookie Preferences