Related topics: •  Diagnosis of Hemophilia •  What is Hemophilia?

The signs and symptoms of hemophilia can vary from person to person, but the hallmarks of the disorder are easy bruising and abnormal bleeding. Because their blood doesn't clot normally, people with hemophilia experience longer bleeding after an injury.

Other common symptoms include:

•swelling and pain from bleeding into joints

•blood in the urine and stool

•nosebleeds with no apparent cause

Most children with hemophilia are diagnosed early in life. A doctor may suspect hemophilia if a newborn experiences severe bruising after receiving shots that are given after a baby’s birth, or if an infant experiences prolonged or severe bleeding after a heel stick to obtain blood or circumcision.

If a baby is not diagnosed at birth, other symptoms that may prompt a family to suspect there may be a problem. These include easy bruising in places that are not normally seen on infants, such as the face, back or stomach, delayed healing after an injury, or swollen joints and muscles. If there is a strong family history of hemophilia, a newborn should be tested as soon as possible to determine if the baby has the disorder.

-- Connie Matthiessen is a freelance writer specializing in health issues. A former staff writer at the Center for Investigative Reporting, she also served as the associate producer of a PBS series on health.

References

First published May 17, 2006
Last updated November 20, 2008
Copyright © 2006 Consumer Health Interactive

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