Causes Of Hemophilia

Multiple Sclerosis

Though most types of hemophilia are acquired genetically, there is a rare version, called 'acquired hemophilia' that occurs when the immune system turns on the clotting factors in the blood. This has been shown to arise in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is an autoimmune disease that interferes with the nervous system's ability to communicate with the rest of the body. In this disease, the immune system attacks the nerve cells. Common symptoms of multiple sclerosis include loss of balance, poor coordination and mobility, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, becoming easily fatigued, blurred vision, and even paralysis. When the immune system turns on itself, the genes can mutate, leading to hemophilia.

Pregnancy

During pregnancy, levels of one of the clotting factors (protein factor eight) naturally rise. This can make it difficult to determine a woman's normal base rate of clotting agents. Women who carry the hemophilia gene are at an increased risk of serious bleeding during and after delivery. If a woman has low levels of clotting factors, she is particularly at risk of excessive and dangerous bleeding during and after a Cesarean section. Bleeding from the birth canal is normal when giving birth, but hemophilia can cause postpartum hemorrhage, which requires treatment and intervention to stop the bleeding. Hemophilia can also impact the baby before and during birth, and knowing whether the mother is a carrier of the gene will allow doctors to diagnose the infant.