Diagnosing Hemophilia
If your child has a history of bleeding–especially joint bleeding–or
excessive bruising, your doctor may suspect a bleeding disorder. Simple blood tests
are the standard for diagnosing a child with hemophilia. The tests will check the
level of factor VIII and factor IX in the child’s blood. If the tests show an insufficient
amount of factor VIII, the diagnosis will be hemophilia A, the most common type
of hemophilia. An insufficient amount of factor IX means a diagnosis of hemophilia
B. Depending on how low the levels of factor VIII or factor IX, the child’s hemophilia
will be classified as mild, moderate, or severe.
Learn about
treatment options
for hemophilia.
Talking to your child’s doctor
The Doctor/Nurse Discussion Guide at
AllAboutBleeding.com can help you have a productive conversation with members of
your child’s healthcare team.