Does your child bleed a lot from a small cut? Could it be Hemophilia B?

It's normal for your little one to get minor cuts and scrapes while playing. But, does it take longer than usual for a minor cut or a nosebleed to stop? Does your body bruise easily? As a parent, it's understandable that you might be worried and anxious about something like this. So today, let's talk about a condition that can cause this, but if managed properly , can allow your child to live a normal life. That's hemophilia B.

Simply put, what is hemophilia B?

Okay, let's put it this way. When we get a wound somewhere in our body, the bleeding stops for a while because of special proteins in our blood. We call these ' clotting factors' or clotting factors . Think of these as a team of workers who come to quickly repair a wound. These workers work together to form a 'clot' that stops the bleeding.

There are 13 types of clotting factors in our blood. A child with hemophilia B has a severe deficiency of factor IX, the ninth of these clotting factors. Without this important clotting factor, the clot that stops bleeding when there is an injury does not form properly. That is why the bleeding lasts longer than normal.

This condition is usually diagnosed in childhood. Only a small percentage of people with hemophilia have type B. It is also more common in boys than girls.

What is the reason for this situation?

Most often, the child inherits this from the mother. The mother may be a carrier of a defective gene that causes this disease. However, sometimes, even if no one in the family has the condition, the child may develop this disease due to a random change (gene mutation) in a gene while the mother is in the womb.

How do we recognize these symptoms?

The two main symptoms are bleeding for longer than normal and bruising easily . Watch for these signs in your child.

If you hit your head, you have to be very careful!

With this condition, even a minor blow to the head can be very dangerous. It can cause bleeding inside the brain. If your child hits their head anywhere, look for any of the following symptoms. If they do, take them to the nearest hospital's Emergency Department (ETU) immediately.

How does a doctor accurately diagnose this disease?

It's usually a little harder to spot this in a baby's first 6 months because babies don't fall or get injured that much during that time. But you may start to notice these problems when your baby starts to crawl and walk.

When you take your child to the doctor, he or she will ask you things like:

• "How did these bruises and injuries occur?"
• "How long did it take for the bleeding to stop?"
• "Is the child taking any medications?"
• "Are there any other health problems?"
• "Does anyone in the family have problems like this with bleeding or clotting?"

Then, to confirm the diagnosis, the doctor will order several blood tests for the child. These mainly look at how long it takes for the blood to clot and which clotting factors are deficient.

What are the treatments?

There is no cure for this condition, but with good management, your child can live an active, happy life.

The main treatment is Replacement Therapy . Simply put, the factor that the child is lacking, that is, the factor that the body cannot make, called Factor IX , is given as an injection into a vein. The Factor IX that is given may be derived from human blood plasma, or it may be recombinant.

• If the condition is severe: To prevent bleeding, the child will need to receive this treatment regularly.
• If the condition is not too severe: Once bleeding begins, treatment may only be needed to stop it.

This treatment can be given at a clinic. Sometimes, a nurse can come to your home, or parents can be trained to give it to their child at home.

Things we need to be careful about when caring for a child

• First aid: As soon as you get a minor cut or scrape, clean the area, hold it firmly, and apply a bandage. However, for a serious injury, you should definitely seek medical advice .
• Exercise and weight: Exercise that strengthens muscles is important because strong muscles reduce bleeding from injuries. Also, maintaining a healthy weight is essential because excess weight puts more pressure on joints and can increase bleeding problems.
• Informing other doctors: Inform all healthcare providers, including the child's dentist, about your child's condition, as they may need to be given special medications to help blood clot before doing something like extracting a tooth.
• Do not give medication without medical advice: Some painkillers, such as ibuprofen, can increase bleeding . Therefore, do not give your child any over-the-counter medication without first consulting your doctor.
• Safety: Do your best to protect your child from accidents. Wear knee pads, elbow pads, and a helmet when playing. Be careful of sharp edges on tables and chairs at home.

Hemophilia B, blood clotting, factor ix, children's diseases, genetic diseases, excessive bleeding