Hemophilia

Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder in which the blood does not clot normally due to a lack of clotting protein. People with hemophilia bleed for a longer time than others after an injury.

• Hemophilia is passed from parents to children through genes.

• Approximately one out of every 5000 boys born has hemophilia.

• Hemophilia affects all races equally.

• People with hemophilia A have absent or low levels of clotting factor VIII (8).

• People with hemophilia B have absent or low levels of clotting factor IX (9).

• Hemophilia can be mild, moderate or severe, depending on the level of clotting protein in the blood.

• There are many available treatment options for hemophilia to help prevent complications associated with excessive bleeding.

How Boston Children's Hospital approaches hemophilia

Your child will receive treatment at the Boston Hemophilia Center, the largest hemophilia program in New England.

• The Boston Hemophilia Center is a joint program between Boston Children's Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Pediatric patients are seen here at BCH.

• Our comprehensive care model ensures that every aspect of your child’s health is monitored by experienced pediatric caregivers.

• Our goal is to enable children with hemophilia and their families to manage the illness as independently as possible and therefore lead more normal, healthy lives.

Reviewed by Kapil Saxena, MD, and Ellis Neufeld, MD, PhD © Boston Children’s Hospital 2013