“We need to create awareness about the prevention of thalassemia births,” said Dr Revathi Raj, consultant paediatric haemato oncologist, Apollo Speciality Hospital.
“Every year 10,000 babies are born with thalassemia and awareness can prevent the disorder,” said the doctor on the eve of International Thalassemia Day that falls on May 8.
People with thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder, undergo blood transfusion every four to five weeks.
“Couples should test for thalassemia before planning pregnancy. When two individuals who have thalassemia minor marry, there is a 25 per cent chance that their child is born with thalassemia major. Only haemoglobin electrophoresis test gives a clear picture about thalassemia,” said Raj.
The Rotary Club of Chennai Galaxy in association with Thalassemia Welfare Association (Rotary TTK Blood Bank, VHS, Adyar), has under Raj’s guidance raised funds for treating children with thalassemia.
Stem cell expert Dr Ajit Kumar said the awareness level about this disorder was increasing among people. “We can not say there’s no awareness level about thalassemia in Chennai.
Usually, parents take a child to a doctor thinking he/she is anemic,” said Dr. Kumar. Bone marrow transplantation is also done for thalassemic children at a cost of around Rs 10 lakh.
S. Vijayalakshmi, whose daughter was diagnosed with thalassemia major when she was three-months-old said, “Before marriage couples should take blood test to find out whether he or she is a thalassemia carrier.
In our case, my husband and I are thalassemia carriers and we’re suffering seeing our child undergoing blood transfusion every five weeks. I hope thalassemia is eradicated from our country,” she said.