Thalassemia

Most commonly diagnosed in children.

• Family History – This blood disorder is passed from parents to their children because thalassemia causes the mutation in the gene that controls the production of haemoglobin. The child needs four alpha-genes (two from each parent) and two beta-genes (one from each parent) to make enough alpha-globin and beta-globin protein chains.
• Certain Ancestry – Most often among people of Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, Southern Asian, and African descent