The birth of a very premature infant with haemophilia A is a rare event. In this case report the problems posed in the management of a child with a factor VIII level of 0.03 IU mL-1 born at 28 weeks of gestation and weighing 1590 g are considered. The value of recombinant factor VIII, the pharmacokinetics of factor VIII in this situation and the importance of close cooperation between paediatricians and haematologists are discussed.