Thalassaemia
Thalassaemia comes from the Greek word meaning the sea, so called because the first group of people diagnosed as suffering from it all came from the Mediterranean region. In fact it is a genetic disorder which is very widespread. There is defective formation of the globin chains of haemoglobin, leading to abnormal haemoglobin which precipitates inside the cell, producing premature destruction and anaemia. If both parents have thalassaemia trait, children can be severely affected, requiring repeated blood transfusions, together with treatment to prevent Iron overload.
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