A seven-year-old boy was admitted with haematemesis. The boy was originally born at 27 weeks' gestational age. His neonatal period had been complicated by sepsis, for which he was treated with antibiotics through an umbilical venous catheter (UVC). A gastroscopy showed grade III oesophageal varices with bleeding. He was examined thoroughly for other causes of portal hypertension, but none were found. Portal hypertension caused by UVC in the neonatal period is a rare but very serious complication to neonatal UVC.