Thalassaemia in Pregnancy: Symptoms, Causes, Risk Factors
What is Thalassaemia?
Thalassemias are inherited blood disorders characterized by abnormal hemoglobin production. Symptoms of thalassemia depend on the type and can vary from none to severe.
Thalassemia is a blood disorder passed down through families (inherited) in which the body makes an abnormal form of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries Oxygen. The disorder results in large numbers of red blood cells being destroyed, which leads to anemia.
You can read: Management of Multiple Pregnancy or Twin Pregnancy
Causes of Thalassaemia in Pregnancy:
All the causes of thalassaemia in pregnancy have listed in the below:
- Thalassaemia cannot be caught from another person, only inherited from genes – and may be passed from either parent to children.
- Beta thalassaemia decides to have children, they should find out if their partner is also a carrier. If positive, there’s a 25% chance a child would inherit beta thalassaemia from both parents, causing beta thalassaemia major that would have serious medical implications.
- Thalassemia is caused by mutations in the DNA of cells that make hemoglobin the substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. The mutations associated with thalassemia are passed from parents to children.
- Thalassemia disrupts the normal production of hemoglobin and healthy red blood cells. This causes anemia. With anemia, blood doesn’t have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to the tissues leaving women fatigued.
Risk Factors of Thalassaemia in Pregnancy:
All the risk factors of thalassemia in pregnancy include:
- Heredity,
- Spontaneous mutation,
- Homozygous form of the disease,
- Pathologic fractures,
- Changes of facial bone structure,
- Severe anemia,
- Discoloration of skin due to iron deposits,
- Hyperplasia of bone marrow,
- Absence of β-chain synthesis in Hb production,
- Negative body image,
- Autosomal recessive disorder.
Sign and Symptoms of Thalassaemia in Pregnancy:
Clinical Features of Thalassaemia in Pregnancy:
All the sign and symptoms of thalassaemia in pregnancy have pointed out in the below:
- Fatigue,
- Weakness,
- Pale or yellowish skin,
- Facial bone deformities,
- Slow growth,
- Abdominal swelling,
- Dark urine.
More questions related to this article:
- Define thalassemia.
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- Write a short note on thalassemia pregnancy symptoms.
- Mention the risk factors of thalassemia in pregnancy.
- What are the clinical features of thalassemia in pregnancy?
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