Thalassemia disease

Thalassemia disease

Thalassemia, also known as anemia, is often found in Thai children during infancy, toddler, school-age children, or adolescents. To diagnose anemia, it can be examined by blood test, which is found that the red blood cells are less than the amount of hemoglobin, the main component of red blood cells, compared to aged-match normal children. The most common cause in Thai children is a lack of essential nutrients or iron deficiency. The strategies for children caring are eating good quality food, taking the blood tonic, preventing the cause of chronic blood loss in children, such as parasitic disease. However, the iron deficiency anemia can be cured.

However, anemia is an important problem and is common in Thai people, including children or adults. It is Thalassemia and Hemoglobinopathies, which is a hereditary disease. The disease can be transmitted from parents, who are carriers, to the child, causing abnormal symptoms in child but not in parents. In Thailand, we have people who are carriers of thalassemia about 20-30 % of the total population. In spouses who are carriers of the same type of thalassemia, when they give birth, each child has a chance of Thalassemia about 25% or 1 in 4.

Major Thalassemia in Thailand

There are different types of Thalassemia in Thailand. There are Alpha-thalassemia group and Beta-thalassemia group. The severe form of Alpha-Thalassemia (Hemoglobin Bart hydrops fetalis) will cause the death of the child. For the moderate severity (Hemoglobin H disease),

pediatric patients will have chronic anemia, enlarged liver and spleen, and they require to do the occasional blood replacement, especially when having a fever or being sick. The child will be pale quickly because the red blood cells are destroyed much faster. For beta Thalassemia group, the severe form is Homozygous Beta Thalassemia. Pediatric patients will have paleness from the age of 6 months onwards, yellow body, bloated stomach, enlarged liver, enlarged spleen, slow body growth, stunted body, abnormal changes of facial structure (Thalassemia facies), complications. In severe cases, patients must receive regular blood replacement every 2-4 weeks to survive. Otherwise, health will deteriorate greatly, and heart attack might occur.

Thalassemia treatment

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the only way to cure Thalassemia disease, which can be received from siblings or donors with matching HLA. For palliative treatment, there are regular blood replacement together with iron chelation drugs. Because the patient will have iron overload symptom, it is harmful to the liver, pancreas, endocrine glands, and heart.

In addition, patients should take folic acid tablets daily for the rest of their lives. Patients should avoid iron-rich foods and iron-containing tonics. Some patients have a very enlarged spleen, or a very rapid anemia and they need blood replacement more often. Doctors may consider removing the spleen when the patient is over 5 years old. These methods can extend the patient's life as long as possible.

There are many other anemias in Thai children that can be found. Pediatricians who specialize in hematology are able to provide knowledge and advice to you.

For more information, please contact Vibhavadi Hospital.