Sage-Tips

What is alpha thalassemia carrier pregnancy?

Alpha thalassemia major (also called hydrops fetalis). This is caused by four missing genes or gene changes. It’s the most serious form of alpha thalassemia. It can lead to stillbirth or the death of a baby shortly after birth. Stillbirth is when a baby dies in the womb after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Can a thalassemia carrier have symptoms?

A person who has thalassemia trait may not have any symptoms at all or may have only mild anemia, while a person with thalassemia major may have severe symptoms and may need regular blood transfusions.

How do you treat thalassemia carrier?

For moderate to severe thalassemia, treatments might include:

1. Frequent blood transfusions. More severe forms of thalassemia often require frequent blood transfusions, possibly every few weeks.
2. Chelation therapy. This is treatment to remove excess iron from your blood.
3. Stem cell transplant.

What happens if both parents are carriers of alpha thalassemia?

Thalassemias are inherited conditions — they’re carried in the genes and passed on from parents to children. People who are carriers of a thalassemia gene show no thalassemia symptoms and might not know they’re carriers. If both parents are carriers, they can pass the disease to their kids.

What happens if both parents are carriers of thalassemia?

Hence the correct answer is option C. If both parents are carriers for thalassemia, which is an autosomal recessive disorder, then there are 25\% chances of pregnancy resulting in an affected child. Note: In general hemoglobin in red blood cells is the one which carries the oxygen.

How common is alpha thalassemia trait?

The trans form of alpha thalassemia trait (α-/α-) is common in African-Americans (20-30\%) and in people of African descent. It is rare for African-Americans to have the cis form of alpha thalassemia, but it can happen.

Can a thalassemia carrier marry?

Thalassaemia Major Can be Prevented! If you are a thalassaemia carrier, avoid marrying another carrier.

Is alpha thalassemia fatal?

Thalassemia major can be fatal. People with alpha thalassemia major die in infancy. People with beta thalassemia major require regular blood transfusions. There are other forms of thalassemia which are not as severe.

What happens if one parent has alpha thalassemia?

When only one parent has alpha thalassemia trait and the other does not, there is no chance of having a baby with the most severe form of alpha thalassemia. However, each child has a 50\% (or 1 in 2) chance to inherit the trait from the parent.

How is thalassemia carrier detected?

Doctors diagnose thalassemias using blood tests, including a complete blood count (CBC) and special hemoglobin tests. A CBC measures the amount of hemoglobin and the different kinds of blood cells, such as red blood cells, in a sample of blood.

How is alpha thalassemia caused?

Alpha thalassemia typically results from deletions involving the HBA1 and HBA2 genes. Both of these genes provide instructions for making a protein called alpha-globin, which is a component (subunit) of hemoglobin . People have two copies of the HBA1 gene and two copies of the HBA2 gene in each cell.

How does a person become an alpha thalassemia silent carrier?

A person become an alpha thalassemia silent carrier when they receive one of the genes from a parent. What are the symptoms of alpha thalassemia silent carrier? People who are alpha thalassemia silent carriers do not have the symptoms related to alpha thalassemia, such as anemia.

What is alpha thalassemia?

Alpha thalassemia is a blood disorder that reduces the production of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to cells throughout the body. In people with the characteristic features of alpha thalassemia, a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin prevents enough oxygen from reaching the body’s tissues.

What are the risks of thalassemia carrier?

The major issue with thalassemia carrier is that if both the parents are carriers, then there is 25\% chance of having a child born with thalassemia major from each pregnancy. The chances of thalassemia can be understood from the following points-

Can a thalassemia carrier donate stem cells?

They can also donate stem cells or bone marrow to their deceased sibling. The major issue with thalassemia carrier is that if both the parents are carriers, then there is 25\% chance of having a child born with thalassemia major from each pregnancy.