Bone marrow is the soft spongy center of bones, where all blood cells are produced. That includes red blood cells (which carry oxygen throughout the body), white blood cells (which fight infection), and platelets (which help blood to clot).
When the bone marrow doesn’t produce enough healthy blood cells to keep up with the body’s needs, it’s called bone marrow failure.
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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)
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?
Doctors at Connecticut Children’s can determine the right plan if your child requires treatment for a bone marrow failure.
Our pediatric experts will meet with the patient and patient’s family to determine the best course of treatment. Depending on the type of bone marrow failure, we may recommend blood transfusions, injections of platelets, or stem cell transplant.