Blood does not clot in a child

When you bring a child to donate blood for analysis, you may hear from the nurse that his blood is too thick or, on the contrary, does not coagulate well. It doesn't really say anything about the child's health and can be a situational condition.

Another thing is when one has to deal with pathological bleeding - hypocoagulation.

What are her symptoms:

• prolonged bleeding from a small cut or at the site of an extracted tooth, after surgery
• unexplained bruising, hematomas
• petechial rash - it does not go away with pressure
• blood in urine and / or stool
• frequent, heavy, and prolonged nosebleeds
• limb swelling, pain in it, discoloration.

What to do if a child has poor blood clotting?

Contact a specialist. Such conditions are dealt with by a hematologist. If the condition is not severe, blood clotting is determined using an analysis. Poor coagulability can be a symptom of a number of diseases, they can only be diagnosed by a specialist.

Why does blood clot badly in a child?

It can be a congenital condition inherited from parents, or it can occur against the background of another disease, especially if it was severe. The difference is that the acquired coagulation problem can be completely cured, but congenital hemophilia will have to be fought for a lifetime - it affects about 125 people per 1 million population.

Hemophilia can be mild, moderate, or severe. First, it does not manifest itself before surgery or significant injury. Average - becomes visible after a year in the form of permanent bruises, bleeding from any injury. The severe form manifests itself in the first year of life in the form of bleeding of mucous membranes, hematomas, profuse bleeding from minor injuries.

How is hemophilia treated?

The most common method is replacement therapy with clotting factor concentrates. They are made from donated plasma or obtained by genetic engineering methods. The drugs are administered intravenously. Treatment can be both prophylactic, when drugs are administered regularly (in severe forms of the disease), and upon the occurrence of bleeding.

What are the ways to prevent poor blood clotting?

If we talk about acquired hypocoagulation, then it is associated with a deficiency in the body of vitamin K. To get enough of it, the child should regularly eat foods such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and spinach.

Newborns who receive vitamin K only from milk or formula (both insufficient) are at risk getting problems with coagulation increases if the mother took antibiotics during pregnancy or anticoagulants. It is also higher in premature babies.

For prophylaxis, a newborn may be given an injection of vitamin K. This must be done with the permission of your doctor.

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