This means that it is passed on from the parents to the child at the time of conception. It is caused by a gene defect on chromosome 13. This means that both parents must carry the defective gene to be able to pass it on to their children. When only one parent has the gene which causes the disorder, the child is very rarely affected. Factor VII Deficiency affects males and females in equal numbers.
Symptoms are different from person to person.
The lower the level of Factor VII, the more serious the bleeding problems are. Some people have no measurable Factor VII in their blood, yet have no bleeding problems. Doctors are not sure why this is so. It could be that these people do have a higher level of Factor VII, but the tests used do not measure it well. Some studies have shown that 1 out of 6 babies is affected by intracranial bleeding at the time of birth.