Categories

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in Children: What to Know

Causes of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Children

It is quite rare for a child to be diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. It is a situation in which there is a buildup of leukemia cells in the blood and bone marrow, thereby preventing the formation of healthy red and white blood cells [2] and white blood cells. Since there are no healthy cells in the body of the children, they tend to develop anemia, have an increased risk for bleeding, and are also prone to infection. However, the main cause of acute myeloid leukemia is unknown, but some conditions increase the risks of developing it, and these includes:

  • Being exposed to alcohol or even smoke from tobacco way before their birth
  • Having a history of a particular disease, which include aplastic anemia
  • Previous treatment with drugs used in treating cancer
  • Genetic disorder

However, having developed one or more of these risk factors does not guarantee that your child will be diagnosed with cancer.