Learning that your child may have bone marrow failure can feel overwhelming. At Connecticut Children's, our pediatric hematologists care for children with both inherited and acquired bone marrow failure syndromes. We use specialized testing to identify the cause and recommend the treatment that's right for your child.

Bone marrow failure happens when the bone marrow doesn't make enough healthy blood cells. Because blood cells help carry oxygen, fight infection and stop bleeding, children with bone marrow failure may develop a range of symptoms that require specialized care.
 

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What are the signs and symptoms of bone marrow failure?

Many children with bone marrow failure do not feel sick, and their condition is only discovered when a doctor orders blood counts for a different reason.

In other children, symptoms may include:

  • Tired, sleepy or dizzy
  • Headaches
  • Pale skin
  • Easy bruising or bleeding
  • Bleeding more than normal
  • Frequent or unusual infections
  • Unexplained fevers
  • Mouth sores
  • Tiny dots on the skin (petechiae)

Many of these symptoms can also be caused by more common childhood illnesses. Your child's doctor can perform testing to determine whether bone marrow failure or another condition is responsible.

What causes bone marrow failure?

Bone marrow failure can be genetic, meaning that it was inherited from a family member and is present at birth. Genetic causes include:

  • Fanconi anemia
  • Dyskeratosis congenital
  • Diamond Blackfan anemia
  • Shwachman Diamond syndrome
  • GATA2-related disorders
  • SAMD9/SAMD9L-related disorders

Bone marrow failure can also develop later in life, usually due to another disorder.

  • Aplastic anemia: The most common cause of acquired bone marrow failure, which occurs when the body cannot make enough red, white or platelet blood cells
  • Myelodysplastoics syndromes (MDS): Rare type of blood cancer

How is bone marrow failure treated?

Treatment depends on what's causing your child's bone marrow failure and how severely blood cell production is affected.

Our pediatric hematology team will carefully evaluate your child and discuss the treatment options that are right for your family. Some children only need regular monitoring, while others may benefit from blood transfusions, medicines or other types of treatment.

We'll work with you every step of the way to answer questions and support your child throughout treatment.