Do you still need to get tested for Mediterranean pregnancy after pre-pregnancy testing?

Written by Du Rui Xia

Obstetrics

Updated on September 06, 2024

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After checking for thalassemia before pregnancy, it is still necessary to check again after becoming pregnant. The purpose of the thalassemia test is to examine some genes to see if there are any genetic issues. Additionally, the husband also needs to be cautious to see if there is a possibility of hemolysis occurring. The thalassemia screening test is aimed at those who have severe hemolysis, or have previously given birth to a child with thalassemia, or if one of the spouses is a carrier of thalassemia trait, then a re-examination is necessary.

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Written by Zhang Xiao Le

Hematology

52sec

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Mediterranean anemia has symptoms such as fatigue, paleness, delayed growth, and facial bone deformities.

Thalassemia is a hereditary hemolytic anemia, and the symptoms of patients with thalassemia are related to their specific types. Thalassemia can be divided into mild, intermediate, and severe types. Mild thalassemia clinically may have no symptoms or only mild anemia, sometimes accompanied by mild splenomegaly; Intermediate thalassemia can present with moderate anemia, noticeable fatigue, and splenomegaly, with a few cases experiencing mild skeletal changes and delayed sexual development; Severe thalassemia in children manifests within the first half-year after birth with pallor, progressively worsening anemia, jaundice, hepatosplenomegaly, delayed growth and development, and distinctive facial features such as frontal bossing, a depressed nasal bridge, and increased distance between the eyes.

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Written by Li Fang Fang

Hematology

36sec

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Can people with thalassemia not take iron supplements?

Thalassemia is a hereditary disease, classified as hemolytic anemia. Patients with thalassemia do not suffer from iron deficiency; rather, the anemia is caused by thalassemia itself, and iron supplementation is ineffective. However, if a patient with thalassemia also has concurrent iron deficiency anemia, then iron supplementation is necessary. During iron supplement treatment, it is also essential to conduct comprehensive examinations to ascertain the cause of the iron deficiency anemia and address the underlying cause.

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Written by Li Fang Fang

Hematology

36sec

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Can carriers of thalassemia have babies?

Thalassemia carriers refer to individuals where one of the four genes is a pathogenic gene. Such patients can have children. However, it is advised that the other parent of the child be completely normal. Even if the other parent is completely normal, the child has a fifty percent chance of being completely normal and a fifty percent chance of also being a carrier of thalassemia. However, although they are carriers of thalassemia, they usually do not exhibit obvious symptoms of anemia, generally having no anemia or only very mild anemia.

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Written by He Li Fang

Hematology

1min

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What is thalassemia?

Thalassemia, commonly referred to as thalassemia, is a type of hereditary hemolytic anemia caused by mutations or deletions in the globin gene, leading to insufficient synthesis of globin peptide chains. This condition is termed thalassemia when characterized by a deficiency in globin chains. Clinically, based on the severity of the anemia, it is categorized into mild, intermediate, and severe types. The disease is widely distributed in many regions of the world, predominantly prevalent in the Mediterranean area, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, and southern China, including Guangxi, Guangdong, Sichuan, Hong Kong, northern Taiwan, as well as Yunnan, Guizhou, Hainan, Fujian, Hunan, and Hubei, with less prevalence in the north of China.

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Written by He Li Fang

Hematology

1min 4sec

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Is Mediterranean anemia leukemia?

Thalassemia, formerly known as Mediterranean anemia or oceanic anemia, is a hereditary hemolytic anemia caused by mutations or deletions in globin genes, leading to insufficient synthesis of globin peptide chains. Those who lack beta chains are referred to as having beta-thalassemia, and those who lack alpha chains are known as having alpha-thalassemia. Clinically, it is classified into mild, intermediate, and severe forms based on the severity of anemia. The disease is widespread in many regions of the world, including the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, and southern China. In China, it is more commonly found in Guangxi, Guangdong, Sichuan, Hong Kong, northern Taiwan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hainan, Fujian, Hunan, and Hubei, and less commonly in the north. Thalassemia is fundamentally defined not as leukemia, but as a genetic disease.