How is beta thalassemia trait diagnosis?
The diagnosis of β-thalassemia relies on measuring red blood cell indices that reveal microcytic hypochromic anemia, nucleated red blood cells on peripheral blood smear, hemoglobin analysis that reveals decreased amounts of HbA and increased amounts of hemoglobin F (HbF) after age 12 months, and the clinical severity …
Is thalassemia trait a medical condition?
Thalassemia (thal-uh-SEE-me-uh) is an inherited blood disorder that causes your body to have less hemoglobin than normal. Hemoglobin enables red blood cells to carry oxygen. Thalassemia can cause anemia, leaving you fatigued. If you have mild thalassemia, you might not need treatment.
What is the difference between thalassemia minor and thalassemia trait?
People who have thalassemia trait (also called thalassemia minor) carry the genetic trait for thalassemia but do not usually experience any health problems except perhaps a mild anemia. A person may have either alpha thalassemia trait or beta thalassemia trait, depending upon which form of beta protein is lacking.
What is thalassemia trait test?
red blood cells. Finding out if you have the genetic trait for thalassemia begins by determining the size of your red blood cells. Individuals with thalassemia trait have red blood cells that are slightly smaller than normal.
When does a person have beta thalassemia major?
Thalassemia trait, also called thalassemia minor, is when a person carries the trait for thalassemia major – there is no clinical significance when a person carries the trait. Beta thalassemia major is a clinical diagnosis referring to a patient who has a severe form of the disease and requires chronic transfusions early in life.
What kind of anemia is caused by alpha thalassemia?
Mild anemia caused by alpha thalassemia trait might be mistaken for iron-deficiency anemia. People who have beta thalassemia intermedia have mild to moderate anemia.
Can a parent with sickle cell trait have beta thalassemia?
If one parent has beta thalassemia trait and the other parent has sickle cell trait, there is a 25 percent (1 in 4) chance with each pregnancy of having a child with sickle cell disease (Sickle beta thalassemia disease). Sickle cell is a lifelong disease with serious health problems.
How are thalassemia carriers passed on to their children?
Carriers often have no signs of illness other than mild anemia. However, they can pass the faulty genes on to their children. People who have moderate to severe forms of thalassemia have inherited faulty genes from both parents. You need four genes (two from each parent) to make enough alpha globin protein chains.