School years

Before the ‘big day’, parents need to be sure that the school – especially their child’s teachers – are aware of the fact that the child has haemophilia. Usually, a letter will be prepared by the child’s haemophilia centre but parents must ensure that the school is comfortable looking after their child and knows what they should do if a problem arises.

Children with haemophilia should be given the opportunity to participate in school activities at this stage as it is important for them to learn their own limitations.

The years between eight and ten are often the years of the first ‘club’ or ‘gang’ and children this age naturally want to do what their friends are doing or ‘daring’ them to do. When competitive sports become part of school life, certain restrictions may become necessary (see section ‘Exercise and sport’).