Pediatrics

Non-cancerous Blood Disorders

A world leader in the treatment of benign blood disorders in children

Call for an appointment Find a pediatric hematologist

When you call to schedule an appointment with our doctors, please let the team know if you want an in-person or video visit. If you request a video visit, our team will walk you through the simple process of arranging one. Call your preferred campus today to schedule an in-person or video visit* appointment.

* This service is open to new and existing patients.

Comprehensive Hematologic Care for Children

The care of pediatric blood disorders is often lifelong and requires the input of multiple specialists to manage complications. NewYork-Presbyterian's children's hospitals are internationally renowned for the care of young patients with non-cancerous blood disorders. NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital is the preeminent center in the tri-state area for treating children with many of these disorders, including hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, thalassemia and other red cell disorders, medical treatment of sickle cell disease, and platelet (blood clotting) disorders. NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital has a program for sickle cell disease and other blood disorders and offers advanced treatments such as stem cell transplantation and clinical trials of gene therapy.

We carefully assess your child, make an accurate diagnosis, and develop a customized treatment plan. We provide support, education, and encouragement to give you the confidence to care for your child. Our goal is to relieve symptoms and support the health of children with blood disorders so they can live comfortable active lives.

What we treat

Our pediatric hematologists (blood disorder specialists) care for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults from across the country with inherited and acquired disorders such as:

Anemias from any cause
Bleeding disorders such as hemophilia and von Willebrand disease, as well as other rare coagulation factor deficiencies
Bone marrow failure
Iron overload and hemochromatosis
Iron deficiency and other anemias
Lymphoproliferative disorders (such as Epstein-Barr virus-associated T-cell disorders), including histiocytic disorders such as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and Langerhans cell histiocytosis
Platelet disorders
Primary immunodeficiencies, including white blood cell and immune disorders
Sickle cell disease
Thalassemia and other red cell disorders
Thrombosis and blood clotting disorders

Signs & symptoms of pediatric blood disorders

Depending on the type of blood disorder, signs and symptoms may include:

Frequent infections
Easy bruising or bleeding
Fatigue
Weakness
Headaches
Abnormal blood cell counts (red and white blood cells and platelets) on blood tests

How we diagnose blood disorders

We perform blood testing and, when needed, bone marrow analysis to identify the disorder causing your child's symptoms. We use the results of testing to determine the best treatment.

Some blood disorders are inherited (due to abnormal genes), and we offer genetic testing to family members of our patients. These family members may be at risk of having the same blood disorder or being a carrier, possibly passing it on to their children. We provide helpful education and counseling.

A child lays in a hospital bed to get blood drawn.

Our Approach to care

A comprehensive care approach that brings together a team of experts for each patient has been shown to improve outcomes in children with inherited and acquired chronic blood disorders. At NewYork-Presbyterian, your child receives care from a team that includes doctors, nurses, geneticist counselors, social workers, child life specialists, and others with the experience and compassion to care for children with blood diseases. Your child's care team helps him or her transition from pediatric to adult care when that time comes.

Our teams also conduct laboratory and clinical research to advance the field. Your child may have the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial of an innovative treatment.

Treatments we offer

We understand that many benign blood disorders are lifetime conditions. Your care team designs a long-term program of comprehensive care that takes your child's overall wellness into account. Our treatments include:

Medications. Some blood disorders can be treated with medicine, given either orally (by mouth), through a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection, or intravenously (by vein). Your child's doctor will let you know if medication is part of the treatment plan and explain how to use it.

Infusion/transfusion therapies. Treatments such as infusions of blood or blood-derived products, as well as coagulation (blood clotting) factors or blood thinners, are treatments for some disorders. We give these treatments in our comfortable pediatric outpatient infusion centers.

Stem cell/bone marrow transplant. Some blood disorders, such as sickle cell disease, can be cured when healthy stem cells from a matched sibling replace the diseased cells in a patient. NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital has one of the oldest stem cell and bone marrow transplantation programs in the nation. Some patients can have a novel "reduced-intensity" approach to stem cell transplantation, where we give low-dose chemotherapy plus immune therapy to allow the donor's cells to grow while minimizing side effects.

Why choose us

When you come to NewYork-Presbyterian for the care of a non-cancerous blood disorder, you'll find expertise here that is not available elsewhere. Specialized programs at NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital include the New York Comprehensive Thalassemia Center — home to one of the largest thalassemia programs in the U.S. — as well as the federally designated Hemophilia Treatment Center, the Pediatric Platelet Disorders Program, and the Pediatric Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Program, which focuses on the care of specific bone marrow disorders. NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital has a large Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease Program, a dedicated program for histiocytic disorders, and programs to treat children with all types of other blood disorders. Both hospitals are designated as Hemoglobinopathy Specialty Centers by the New York State Department of Health. Call us for an appointment.

Patient story