What is severe combined immune deficiency?

Also known as: SCID, severe combined immunodeficiency, “boy in the bubble” syndrome.

Severe combined immune deficiency is a rare dangerous genetic birth defect that essentially doesn’t allow your child’s body to develop an immune system with which to fight any type of infection. Children with this disease lack function in both their T- and B-lymphocyte cells, which are both critical parts of the immune system.

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Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM