Thalassemia is a form of inherited disease and it is caused by red blood cells genetic blood disorders. This disorder reduces the body’s production of haemoglobin which is the oxygen-carrying component of the red blood cells which circulates oxygen throughout the body and transports them to organs. Generally there are two types of thalassaemia – alpha thalassemia and beta thalassemia. Haemoglobin is made up of alpha and beta proteins. An insufficient production of the alpha protein results in alpha thalassaemia, while a beta protein insufficiency results in beta thalassaemia. The least severe form of thalassemia is thalassemia minor. On the other hand, the most severe form of thalassemia is known as thalassemia major.

There are some facts that we need to concern about it. If one parent has thalassaemia minor, there is a 50% chance that their children will have thalassaemia minor.




If both parents have thalassaemia minor, in each pregnancy there is a 25% chance that their children will have normal blood, 50% chance of being thalassaemia minor and a 25% chance of being a thalassaemia major .



What should we do if we are thalassemics? We are not encouraged getting married with the people who are also thalassemics, or else, we had better adopt children rather than having our own children.

Recently researchers found that a stem cell transplant can save the life of one suffering from thalassaemia major, by replacing the entire blood system with healthy blood cells. This can be done if a “match” is found for the patient, usually with stem cells from a sibling, and a successful transplant can regenerate the blood system, allowing the patient to live a healthy normal life.

So are you thalassaemic?