Question
What should I do if my child has thalassemia? The doctor said my child has thalassemia after blood tests at the hospital. What kind of food should the doctor recommend for the child?
Answer
Thalassemia, also known as Mediterranean anemia (Thalassemia), is a group of hereditary hemolytic anemia. It is characterized by a defect in the globin gene, which causes a reduction or inability to synthesize the globin peptide chains in hemoglobin, leading to changes in the composition of hemoglobin. The clinical symptoms of this disease vary in severity, mostly manifesting as chronic progressive hemolytic anemia. If both parents are carriers of thalassemia, there is a 25% chance that each child will be “normal,” a 50% chance of becoming a very mild or mild thalassemia patient, and a 25% chance of developing severe thalassemia. It is recommended to undergo treatment under the guidance of a doctor. Generally, the patient’s condition may improve, but this depends on the severity of the illness. As for the child’s diet, specific recommendations should be followed under the doctor’s guidance.