Abstrakt

�²-thalassemia - A Review

Chaitanya M, Soumya M, Namrta H

ABSTRACT β-thalassemia is one of the hereditary blood disorder identified by anomalies in the synthesis of the beta chains of hemoglobin resulting in variable phenotypes ranging from severe anemia to clinically asymptomatic individuals. In a country like India, with the high frequency of hemoglobinopathies, causing increased burden on the society, it is necessary to control the incidence by effective steps. The knowledge about the frequency distribution of the predominant mutations in the population helped in offering prenatal diagnosis to the families. Conception rather than having an effected fetus. The hemoglobinopathies constitute a major public health problem among genetic conditions internationally, but particularly in the developing World which has the least resources for coping with the problem. It is apparent that prevention of the disease is of primary importance, not only to reduce the burden on the health services, but also to give better chance of survival to the existing patients.