No risk to your own health

As a Thalassaemia Minor you don’t need to worry for yourself. You are healthy and, like any other person, can expect to remain healthy for the rest of your life. You will continue to be a Thalassaemia Minor forever. As a Thalassaemia Minor you are probably better off than others. You have a lesser risk of getting malaria.

Great risk to your future child

As a Thalassaemia Minor, you carry the risk of giving birth to a child who is a Thalassaemia Major. And this can happen only if your spouse is also a Thalassaemia Minor. If your spouse is also a Thalassaemia Minor, there is a one-in-four (25 %) chance in each pregnancy that the child born to you will be a Thalassaemia Major. In this case you would be in for serious trouble. A Thalassaemia Major child needs regular blood transfusions throughout life for survival.

Therefore, you must find out if your spouse is also a Thalassaemia Minor by asking your spouse to do a Blood Test. If your spouse is not a Thalassaemia Minor, there is nothing to worry for you.

But if your spouse is a Thalassaemia Minor like you, your options are:

1. not to have a child (you may adopt a child).
2. have your own biological child, but only after doing a Pre Natal Test very early in the pregnancy and knowing whether the foetus is Thalassaemia Major or not. If the foetus is Thalassaemia Major, you have the option of termination of pregnancy.

Remember, a Thalassaemia Major child is born only if both parents are Thalassaemia Minor.

Get your siblings, cousins and young relatives checked for Thalassaemia Minor

As a Thalassaemia Minor you must realize that there is a good chance that your brothers, sisters and cousins are also Thalassaemia Minor. Ask them to do a Blood Test and confirm whether they are Thalassaemia Minor or not. And if they are, they should take the same precaution that has been advised to you.

If your haemoglobin drops, tell your doctor that you are a Thalassaemia Minor

When there is a drop in the haemoglobin count there is a tendency to administer iron supplements or iron tonics or iron tablets. This may not work with a Thalassaemia Minor. Therefore, if your haemoglobin drops, you must inform your doctor that you are a Thalassaemia Minor. The doctor will then suitably advise you.