Pediatric Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center

Comprehensive bleeding and clotting disorder treatment

Our team carefully reviews each child's medical and family history, including risk factors, symptoms and bleeding or clotting episodes. Hematologists at our center are trained to recognize the subtle signs of bleeding irregularities and select the most appropriate tests.

We offer a full range of diagnostic evaluations for bleeding and clotting disorders. Whenever possible, patients get all the testing they need in a single visit to help get answers faster. Our laboratory staff has specialized expertise in these disorders, providing advanced analysis for accurate results.

Individualized hemophilia management

For children with severe hemophilia and spontaneous bleeding, we often recommend prophylaxis (preventive treatment) to stop bleeding before it occurs. Prophylaxis may include regular use of clotting factor replacement, which are medicines that help your child's clotting system work better. Prophylaxis reduces the risk of certain long-term complications, such as joint damage.

These therapies can be given as an infusion into a vein or an injection under the skin. Our team teaches families how to confidently and safely administer injections at home.

For children with infrequent bleeding, we may take a more conservative approach. In these cases, our team provides guidance on managing bleeding if your child has an injury or accident or needs surgery. We also help families understand how to manage bleeding risks in daily life, from medication use to safe physical activity.

Our bleeding disorder experts collaborate with other specialists to provide coordinated care for specialized health needs, including:

• Menstruation in adolescents. We work with gynecologists to diagnose and treat patients with heavy menstrual bleeding, anemia or suspected bleeding disorders.

• Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). Our multispecialty team cares for children who have (or may have) HHT, a genetic disorder that causes abnormal blood vessel development.

• Hemophilia and family planning. As children with hemophilia grow into adulthood, hematologists and maternal-fetal medicine specialists provide guidance and specialized care before and during pregnancy.
  

Specialized thrombosis care

Blood clots can develop in children for many reasons, ranging from medication or treatment side effects to traumatic injuries or infections. Some children also have genetic conditions that increase their clotting risk, such as inherited thrombophilia.

We provide consultation, diagnosis and treatment for children with or at risk for blood clots. Our hematologists work closely with specialists in interventional radiology, vascular medicine and imaging. We help prevent clots from growing and reduce the risk of new clots forming.

The most common treatment is medications that thin the blood and prevent clots, called anticoagulants, such as heparin. We teach families how to safely give these medications as injections at home.

We also offer a newer treatment called direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Originally used for adults, two types of DOACs are now FDA-approved for certain types of blood clots in children.

DOACs are taken by mouth, so they don't require daily injections, which reduces pain and stress for kids. Our team played an active role in clinical trials that helped develop these therapies for pediatric care.