Patient's question:
Previously, I took my wife to the local hospital for a thorough check-up on thalassemia. Today, I received the results, and the doctor told me that my wife is a carrier of thalassemia. Then, she asked me to get tested for thalassemia as well. I'm very worried that I might also be a carrier! If the test shows that I am a carrier of thalassemia, what is the probability of the child inheriting it through intergenerational transmission? Now I am 11 weeks pregnant. With the current medical technology, can the child's health and the intergenerational inheritance be detected? If it really does intergenerationally inherit, what should we do?Doctor's answer:
In your case, it is advisable to further investigate how the disease is inherited. If both you and your spouse carry the genetic mutation for thalassemia, the risk of passing it down to your child across generations is very high. If only the mother carries the genetic mutation, the risk of the child inheriting it across generations is 50%.Since you are already pregnant, regular prenatal check-ups should be conducted. If the pregnant woman experiences anemia again, active symptomatic treatment should be initiated. After the fourth month of pregnancy, amniocentesis can be performed to examine the DNA and confirm whether the child has inherited thalassemia across generations. It can also be checked for other inherited or congenital diseases.