According to Haemophilia Federation India, there are about 19,858 people with Haemophilia in India. Of these, about 80 per cent have Haemophilia A, 12 per cent have Hemophilia B, and about 3 per cent suffer from von Willebrand disease (VWD).
Haemophilia is an inherited disorder of blood clotting. Dr KK Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI), said: “Women are carriers of hemophilia. It isn’t a life-threatening disorder unless the bleeding extends into a vital organ. However, it can be severely debilitating and there is no known cure for this disorder. About a third of new cases are caused due to a new mutation of the gene in the mother or the child. In cases where the mother is a carrier and the father does not have the disorder, there is a 50 per cent chance of the male child having haemophilia and 50 per cent chance of the girl child being a carrier. One should see a doctor in case the following symptoms show up: A severe headache, repeated vomiting, neck pain, blurred or doubled vision, extreme sleepiness, and continuous bleeding from an injury.”
Tips to manage Haemophilia: