Question
Is neonatal physiological jaundice possibly caused by thalassemia? My baby was born on the sixth day and has jaundice, which is now within normal range. However, during the heel prick test on the third day after birth, there was a suspicion of thalassemia. Is this possible?
Answer
Thalassemia is a genetic hemolytic disease, where some individuals are carriers of the gene but may not exhibit clinical symptoms. For thalassemia, regular reviews are usually sufficient. Some may experience recurrent anemia, which may require repeated blood transfusions, and if conditions permit, may also require bone marrow stem cell transplantation for complete treatment. However, whether there is thalassemia needs to be further clarified through bone marrow transplantation gene testing, as this disease can lead to hemolytic jaundice.