Patient's question:
Today, I received a phone call notification about the thalassemia gene test. It said that both my wife and I are heterozygous for thalassemia, and the condition is estimated to be mild. I love my wife very much. I don't want to let her suffer any harm. How can I have children with the least amount of harm? Do you have any suggestions? My previous child lost its heartbeat within 9 weeks of pregnancy. It was only after a thorough examination that this was discovered. In our pre-marital health check-up, it was confirmed that I did not have thalassemia.Doctor's answer:
If both spouses suffer from this disease, there is a 25% chance of having a normal child, a 50% chance of having a mild or moderate form of the disease, and a 25% chance of developing severe anemia with each pregnancy. If both spouses have the same type of thalassemia, there is a possibility of giving birth to a child with severe anemia. The most common scenario is when both spouses have mild or moderate α or β thalassemia, resulting in the birth of a child with severe α or β thalassemia.