How to treat thalassemia in pregnant women
Dec 29, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Lv Aiming
Introduction
Thalassemia can be classified into three types according to disease severity: mild thalassemia, moderate thalassemia, and severe thalassemia. Pregnant women with mild thalassemia generally do not require special treatment; they should ensure adequate rest, avoid fatigue and infections, and refrain from taking medications casually, especially oxidizing agents. Mild thalassemia has little impact on the fetus. Moderate thalassemia presents with obvious symptoms.
Many pregnant women develop thalassemia during pregnancy, and if not treated promptly, it may cause harm to both fetal and maternal health. So how is thalassemia in pregnant women treated?
How is Thalassemia in Pregnant Women Treated?
Thalassemia can be classified into three types according to severity: mild thalassemia, moderate thalassemia, and severe thalassemia. Pregnant women with mild thalassemia generally do not require special treatment. They should focus on getting adequate rest, avoiding fatigue and infections, and refraining from taking medications unnecessarily—especially drugs such as oxidizing agents. This type usually has little impact on the fetus. Moderate thalassemia presents with obvious symptoms. In such cases, regular red blood cell transfusions at a hospital are necessary to support normal fetal development, maintaining hemoglobin levels above 90 g/L. For severe thalassemia, anemia symptoms in pregnant women are serious, requiring frequent blood transfusions to maintain hemoglobin levels above 90 g/L.
The diagnosis of thalassemia during pregnancy is neither caused by pregnancy itself nor by other external factors, but because the woman already has thalassemia prior to conception. Thalassemia is a genetic disorder—an inherited, congenital disease. Individuals affected by thalassemia are born with the condition. Currently, there is no effective cure for thalassemia; treatment mainly involves supportive blood transfusions when necessary. A pregnant woman with thalassemia may pass the condition on to her child with a certain probability.
Additionally, to ensure fetal safety, amniocentesis is recommended before birth to assess whether the fetus has thalassemia. We hope this information helps you. Wishing you good health and happiness!
