What is Thalassaemia?
Thalassaemia is an inherited disorder of the blood. It affects the body’s ability to produce sufficient and healthy red cells. Many people from the Mediterranean, Middle East and Asia have thalassaemia trait in their genes.
What are the main types of Thalassaemia?
There are two main types: Thalasaemia Minor and Thalasaemia Major.
THALASSAEMIA MINOR
Thalassaemia Minor are people who have the thalassaemia trait in their genes. Many of them do not realise this as it does not cause them any illness. It can only be discovered by specific blood tests. They can continue to lead a normal life. However, a thalssaemia minor is a carrier and he/she can pass on the thalassaemic gene to his or her children.
How are Thalassaemia genes passed on?
Throughout our life, the body makes red blood cells inside the bones based on biological information passed on by the parents: half from the father and half from the mother. Which half of the father or mother’s information the child gets is a matter of luck. If one of the parents carries the thalassaemia gene, there is a 50% chance that this half can be passed on to the child. Then the child will be a carrier like the parent.
Are there many Thalassaemia Minors in Malaysia?
It is estimated that about 600,000 Malaysians (3 percent of the population) have thalassaemia trait.
THALASSAEMIA MAJOR
If both the parents are carriers there is a 25 percent chance that each child born can have Thalassaemia Major. This is a very serious condition. It severely reduces the amount of haemoglobin (red blood cells) the body can make, thus resulting in the inability of the blood cells to carry sufficient supply of oxygen for the body’s needs and will eventually lead to death.
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