“Thalassaemia is a genetic blood disorder that produce abnormal red blood cells, and it affects the function of it carrying oxygen to the cells in all parts of the body. Newborn appears normal at birth but as they grow the infants exhibits progressive anaemia; jaundice; paleness; fussiness; shortness of breath etc.
Regular treatment includes chronic blood transfusion therapy, iron chelation treatment, splenectomy and allogeneic stem cell transplants.
As it is a genetic disorder, the Thalassaemia Major child will have to use a HLA-typing matched siblings or non-related cord blood stem cells for transplants. However, it is difficult to find a match from a donor in order to undergo the procedure (http://www.onstemcells.com/diseases/thalassemia). Siblings, on the other hand, would have a higher chance (25%) of getting a perfect match. Some O&G doctor may suggests to consider cord blood banking if you have family history of cancer or genetic disorders like Thalassaemia.”