The only risk factor is having a family history of the disease. This is a genetic disease inherited from one or both parents. In most cases, a baby with this condition will die before birth. You have a greater risk of having a child with alpha thalassemia major.Īlpha thalassemia major. They can also get worse if you are exposed to certain medicines, chemicals, or infectious agents. This is confirmed by DNA tests.Īlpha thalassemia carrier. Being a silent carrier means you don’t have signs of the disease, but you can pass the damaged gene on to your child. Your red blood cells may be smaller than normal. One gene is missing or damaged, and the other 3 are normal. What causes alpha thalassemia?Īlpha thalassemia occurs when some or all of the 4 genes that make hemoglobin (the alpha-globin genes) are missing or damaged.Īlpha thalassemia silent carrier. The severity and type of anemia depends on how many genes are affected. Anemia occurs when your body does not have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin. Thalassemia can cause mild or severe anemia. Different genes are affected for each type. There are 2 main types of thalassemia: alpha and beta. It carries oxygen to all parts of the body. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein in red blood cells. When you have thalassemia, your body makes less hemoglobin than normal. This means it is passed down from one or both parents through their genes. Thalassemia (thal-uh-SEE-mee-uh) is a blood disorder that is inherited.
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