thalassemia concerns

my kids have beta thal minor is that the same thing as the trait. my husband has thalassemia intermedia and had his spleen removed and i am perfectly fine without anything. anyways can the disease affect my children in any way.

[Dragon1973]

Hello Nana770,

If your children were accurately diagnosed (by blood testing) that they only have one copy of the gene, (heterozygous  as opposed to homozygous meaning having both copies of the genes) then they will only be affected in a minor way and not have the full disease.  In order to have the full Thalassemia they would have had to have (carry) both genes.  If they have been diagnosed as Beta Thal minor, it means they only have one gene.

Here is a great site that explains it in more depth:  http://www.medicinenet.com/beta_thalassemia/article.htm

Having Beta Thal minor doesn't mean that they will not have any difficulties or are without problems.  But, the degree of severity is often less.  In your children's case, they might have (at most) mild anaemia.  Often they will only be monitored by a physician to ensure that they do not have iron deficiencies.  Apparently from what I have learned there is no treatment regimen for those who have Beta Thal minor.  But I would absolutely verify this with your own doctors.

I hope this is helpful for you.

In addition to anything I have mentioned, please keep in mind, that while I or others may have extensive knowledge in many areas, you should always seek professional medical advice from your own physician, as it pertains to medical conditions or concerns.

Good luck, and if you have any other questions that I can help you with, please feel free to message me directly.

Sincerely,
Sandi (Dragon1973)
MedHelp Genetics Community Leader;
Children - Special Needs Community Leader;
Down syndrome Community Leader & Ds Group Forum Founder/Moderator

[nana770]

my kids have minor beta thalassemia trait but i was told i can give them folic acid while others told me it was not necessary. What should i do. will it help them or not?Also is it possible people who have the trait will have a enlarged spleen. i am 36 years old and i have nothing to do with thalassemia.