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Are there any complications in marrying a thalassaemia patient?

Dr Dharma R Choudhary
Clinical Hematologist & Bone Marrow Transplant Physician,
BL Kapur Memorial Hospital,
New Delhi

Q: My 27 years old friend is going to marry a girl who is suffering from beta thalassaemia (minor carrier). Her blood test report showed Hb F - <1.00, Hb adult - 87.30, haemoglobin is 9.20 g/dl, red blood cell (RBC) count is 4.57, packed cell volume - 31.30, serum iron - 150.96 and serum ferritin - 7.19 ng/dl. What are the complications after marrying thalassaemia patient? Can she conceive?

A:A person, who is going to marry thalassemia minor, should check his/her thalassemia status before marriage to avoid the birth of thalassemia major. If both are thalassemia minor, there is 25% chances of thalassemia major in offspring, 25% chances of normal offspring and 50% chances of minor. So, your friend should get his thalassemia status.