Pediatric Hematology
UNC Children’s offers compassionate, comprehensive care for children and teens with blood cell diseases, bleeding and clotting disorders, and blood cancers.
Specialized Care for Blood Disorders
When you choose UNC Children’s, your child benefits from the experience and expertise of board-certified pediatric hematologists-oncologists. You’ll have access to the advanced knowledge and promising new therapies of an academic medical center, as well as nationally-recognized specialty programs, including:
- Hemophilia Treatment Center – A regional center for children and adults with bleeding disorders
- Hematology Thrombosis Clinic – A regional center for children and adults with clotting disorders
- Sickle Cell Clinic – Part of a national clinical and research network of sickle cell treatment providers dedicated to providing the best care to people with sickle cell disease
Exceptional Care for Blood Cancers
Learn about UNC Children’s services and treatments for blood cancers and other pediatric cancers. N.C. Children’s Hospital, our clinical home, is recognized as one of the top children’s hospitals for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report for providing excellent resources for medical care and the best-possible patient outcomes.
Clinical Trials of Promising New Treatments
For the Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at UNC Children's, the clinical and research components are closely intertwined. Many of our patients participate in clinical trials. If your child is eligible for a clinical trial, s/he may benefit from new blood clotting factor therapies or other promising new treatments that aren’t yet widely available.
Learn more about our current research programs.
What We Treat
Conditions We Treat
At UNC Children’s, find expert diagnosis and treatment for all blood disorders and diseases that affect children, including:
- Red blood cell disorders
- Anemia – Blood doesn’t carry enough oxygen to the body
- Hemoglobin diseases – Blood cells break down earlier than normal
- Sickle cell disease – Abnormally crescent-shaped blood cells break easily and block blood flow in the smallest blood vessels
- Thalassemias – Too few healthy red blood cells and not enough of the protein (hemoglobin) that carries oxygen to the body
- White blood cell diseases o Blood cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma o Neutropenia – Abnormally low number of white blood cells
- Platelet disorders o Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) – Too few platelets in the blood o Thrombocytopenia – Too few platelets in the blood
- Thrombocytosis – Too many platelets in the blood
- Von Willebrand disease – Excessive bleeding because the blood lacks a protein needed to clot
- Plasma disorders
- Hemophilia – Excessive bleeding because the blood lacks a protein needed to clot
Treatments
Treatments & Services We Offer
Your child will get an individualized treatment plan that may include:
- Bone marrow transplant – Replaces unhealthy marrow with healthy marrow from a donor
- Chemotherapy – Destroys cancer cells
- Infusions – Provide medications or iron supplements through an IV
- Nutrition/dietary recommendations and supplements
- Prescription medications
- Transfusions – Provide healthy blood cells, platelets, or plasma through an IV
Care Team
Multidisciplinary Care Team
With UNC Children’s, you can count on a full spectrum of medical and support services from a team of specialists who work together to achieve the best possible outcome for your child. Depending on your child’s specific condition, his or her care team may include:
Spanish Interpreter Services
If you or your child speaks primarily Spanish, ask about our certified interpreter. The interpreter can attend your child’s appointments to help your family communicate with your care team.
