Toddlers and the pre-school years

This is a major exploratory phase for all children whether they have haemophilia or not. Toddlers should not be brought up to fear their environment as this is ‘abnormal’ and will make the child focus too heavily on their condition. Accidents will happen despite parents’ best efforts, but many can be avoided. Learning how to play and interact safely with other children will be an important milestone for any child with haemophilia.

As with all children, superficial bruising is very common in this group of youngsters. For those with haemophilia, bleeding into the joints is unusual in the first three years of life. However, if there is ever any doubt about bruising or the possibility of a joint bleed, medical advice should always be sought.