The recognition that a bleeding diasthesis can arise as an inherited disorder was documented as far back as the 2nd century ACE in Talmudic writings. Our current understanding of haemophilia as a deficiency of clotting factors is, however, a more recent establishment dating to the 1940s.1 Haemophilia A, or congenital factor VIII deficiency, is the most common of the inherited bleeding disorders and afflicts 1 in 5000 live births. Less common is factor IX deficiency or haemophilia B, which occurs in one in 30,000 live births.2 Deficiencies of other clotting factors are much rarer.
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