Childhood Bone Marrow Failure

Bone marrow failure happens when your bone marrow is unable to keep up with your body's need for healthy blood cells. Bone marrow is the soft, spongy center of our bones. It produces all blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Red blood cells contain the protein hemoglobin that carries oxygen from the lungs to tissues. White blood cells fight infection. Platelets are important for blood to clot.

There are many types of bone marrow failure, including: 

• Aplastic anemia
• Congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT)
• Cyclic neutropenia
• Diamond-Blackfan anemia
• Dyskeratosis congenita and other telomere biology disorders
• Fanconi anemia
• GATA2 disorders
• Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)
• Pearson syndrome
• Severe congenital neutropenia
• Shwachman-Diamond syndrome
• Thrombocytopenia disorders (RUNX1, ANKRD26, ETV6)
• Thrombocytopenia with absent radii

In about 30% of bone marrow failure cases, a specific diagnosis has not been identified.

Bone Marrow Failure Treatment at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s

The Bone Marrow Failure and Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) Program at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center is recognized as one of the nation’s best pediatric treatment and research programs for bone marrow failure, MDS, and related conditions. Our patients have access to advanced diagnostic evaluations and treatments, including individually tailored stem cell transplantation and ongoing clinical trials that are investigating new treatments

Learn more about the Bone Marrow Failure and MDS Program.