Hematology

This condition occurs when your child does not have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen. It can often be a symptom of other illnesses somewhere else in the body.

Hemoglobinopathies are a family of inherited blood disorders that cause abnormal production of hemoglobin molecules—the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. Thalassemia occurs when your child makes hemoglobin differently and has less hemoglobin than normal.

Sickle cell disease, also known as sickle cell anemia, is a hemoglobinopathy caused by abnormally shaped red blood cells that cannot carry oxygen as well as normal cells and that can get stuck in blood vessels, leading to pain and other issues.

Several blood disorders cause abnormal clotting of the blood. Some conditions, like hemophilia and Von Willebrand’s disease, prevent blood from clotting, leading to excessive bleeding and bruising.

The Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC) is committed to providing the best care for individuals with bleeding disorders. The center provides services to more than 700 patients, both pediatric and adult, from Iowa and western Illinois who have been diagnosed with a bleeding disorder. We offer state-of-the-art comprehensive clinical care, education to patients and their families, and accessibility to clinical research projects that are oriented to improve the lives of people with these types of disorders.

Blood clots are created to help the body stop bleeding, several inherited or acquired conditions can alter the blood leading to the formation of unnecessary blood clots.

Some inherited diseases can prevent your child’s bone marrow from producing one or more types of blood cells in adequate quantities. Other times these problems can develop later in life.

Leukocytes, or white blood cells, help your child fight infections. Having too many leukocytes (leukocytosis) or too few (leukopenia) can lead to problems, such as inflammation or difficulty fighting infections.

Platelets help to stop bleeding and plug holes in blood vessels. When platelets are too low, your child may have excessive bruising and bleeding.  Kids can have low platelets from birth or can get low platelets in childhood because their immune system starts destroying their own platelets.  That is called ITP and can be acute and temporary or longer lasting (chronic).

These growths, made up of blood vessels, are often present at birth. Many are cosmetic and visible on the skin but do not harm your child’s health, but some may cause problems. Some examples of malformations include venous malformations and lymphatic malformations.

Newborns can experience problems with their red blood cells, including hemolytic disease of the newborn and anemia. One possible cause of these illnesses is the Rh factor, a protein on the surface of blood cells.