Infant to 4 Years Old
The first few years of coping with hemophilia are stressful ones for new parents, especially for those with no history of hemophilia in their family. Families are overwhelmed with all of the information on hemophilia — bleeding episodes, when to treat, when not to treat and much more. They also must learn to trust the medical staff caring for their child. At times, the light at the end of the tunnel can seem far away. This is a natural feeling, but one you can face head-on with fundamental precautions and forward-thinking. Here are some helpful tips for parents of children in this age group:
- For infants, attach a luggage tag to the car seat for easy identification of the child and his or her medical condition.
- With help from your HTC staff or home care provider, educate the babysitter, daycare staff and preschool staff about your child’s condition.
- For ages two to four, set your child on the right course by letting him help with your decisions, such as which site to use for venipuncture and which band-aid to use. If you’re infusing at home, ask him to help set up supplies. Also encourage your child to tell you when bleeding symptoms occur.
- As a family, attend NHF chapter activities and HTC activities for both the education and socialization.
- Child-proof your house and remember to use safety gear, such as a helmet, and elbow and knee pads; a car seat; and medical alert identification.
- If your child bumps his head really hard, assume he will need an infusion. Have an emergency plan in place to infuse…Don’t delay treatment.
- Pack a bag of items you will need if you must take your child to the emergency room.
- Children with bleeding disorders normally get the same immunizations as other children. Immunizations to hepatitis A and B are recommended. There is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C. Immunizations should be administered subcutaneously (beneath the skin) vs. intramuscularly (into muscle) to avoid additional bleeding risk. To control any bleeding that may occur from an immunization, try ice or schedule the shot after a prophylactic dose of factor when the child’s factor levels are higher.
Dental Care
Dental care is important at every age. See our dental care resources to find out what you need to know to keep your child's teeth in great shape.
