If you have any genetic disorders then it is quite likely that you may pass it on to your baby. Thalassemia is one such genetic disorder that you may transfer to your baby. Thalassemia in pregnancy may pose some serious complications. We shall discuss in detail how you may effectively manage your pregnancy if you have thalassemia.
Haemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that is found in our red blood cells. This protein is required to carry oxygen to various parts of our body and carry carbon dioxide which gets expelled from the lungs. Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that hampers the healthy production of haemoglobin by our body. This malfunction may cause serious cases of anaemia. These abnormal or deformed genes may get transferred from the parents to their children.
If you are pregnant, you should get in touch with your doctor to know more about thalassemia and pregnancy.
Haemoglobin in our blood comprises of matching protein chains, alpha chains and beta chains. The severity or the extent of complications associated with thalassemia varies, depending upon the number of mutated genes in these protein chains. The two main types of thalassemia are alpha and beta thalassemia.
Alpha thalassemia occurs when there is gene mutation in the alpha protein chains. This may happen in the following ways:
Beta thalassemia results from a gene mutation in the beta protein chains. This gene mutation may occur in following ways:
Alpha and Beta thalassemia have been further categorized into two sub-categories:
When the defected genes are inherited or transferred only from a single parent, then you may have a condition called thalassemia minor. People who have this condition are called the carrier of the disease. If you have this condition you may not have any health complications, but you may pass this defected gene to your baby.
When the defected genes are inherited from both the parents, then it may lead to a life-threatening condition called beta thalassemia major. Thalassemia major causes serious complications in unborn babies. Most babies with alpha thalassemia major do not make it up to the pregnancy or birth. Beta thalassemia major is more common in babies and children than alpha thalassemia major.
You may have thalassemia in pregnancy in following cases:
Following points may help you know if you have thalassemia in pregnancy:
Thalassemia is an inherited disease, therefore if either you or your partner or both have thalassemia; there is a great possibility that your unborn baby may have it too.
In case if a single parent is a defective gene carrier, the chances of the unborn baby getting this gene are one in two. However, if both the parents have deformed genes carriers, then the baby has following chances of inheriting thalassemia:
In a case where you or your partner has thalassemia trait, following tests may be prescribed by your doctor for prenatal diagnosis of thalassemia:
In a case where the unborn baby is diagnosed with alpha thalassemia major, there are very dim chances of survival. The doctor may recommend terminating the pregnancy as the baby may not sustain till delivery or birth.
If you have thalassemia, you will be closely monitored by your midwife and doctor throughout your pregnancy. Your doctor may prescribe you folic acid as it would reduce the risk of your baby getting neural tube defects (spina bifida). The dosage may vary according to your condition.
In case you are beta thalassemia minor, your doctor may keep a regular tab on your iron levels in the body. You may be prescribed iron tablets to replenish the body’s iron requirement in pregnancy.
In case you are alpha thalassemia minor, you may have a mild or severe case of anaemia. You may require a blood transfusion to ward off anaemia.
In case you are beta thalassemia major, you may have severe complications in your pregnancy. You may require constant monitoring, medication and blood transfusion to sustain a healthy pregnancy.
Thalassemia may cause complications during birth. Therefore, it is recommended to go in for a hospital delivery. In case you are beta thalassemia major, which may affect your bones severely; vaginal delivery may become not possible and may require a c-section in the hospital.
The treatment options for thalassemia vary according to the severity and complexity of each case. However, the following are some of the common treatment options that may be suggested to you by your doctor:
Here’s how you will know if your baby will have thalassemia or not:
The above-mentioned possibilities remain same in each case of pregnancy, of the same couple. This means no matter how many kids the same couple has, the above-mentioned possibilities will apply in each case.
If your pregnancy tests show that you have thalassemia then you may have to undergo various other tests to determine the presence of this genetic disorder in your unborn child. In case it is established that your unborn baby is affected with thalassemia, your doctor may advise you to go in for genetic counselling. The counsellor will help you understand your situation and also recommend various treatment options that you may consider. The prompt and timely action will ward off any major complication that may arise because of this genetic disorder.