“Thalasemia is a group of blood diseases that occur when the production of hemoglobin is not normal. This disease occurs due to genetic factors and is inherited from parents, therefore it is very important to do a thalassemia test before marriage.”
Thalassemia is a group of blood diseases that a person can experience due to genetic factors, namely when the production of hemoglobin in the body is not normal. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that is responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body. This disease is divided into two types, thalassemia major and thalassemia minor.
Due to its genetic nature, children born to partners who have thalassemia or carry abnormal blood genes can also experience this disease. Therefore, a thalassemia test before marriage is very important to prevent the spread of thalassemia in the family.
What Happens If a Couple with Thalassemia Gets Married?
By doing a thalassemia test before marriage, couples can find out if they are carriers of the thalassemia gene. If both partners have thalassemia, there is a 25 percent chance that each child born to this couple will have thalassemia major. This is a more serious form of the disease.
If both parents are carriers for only thalassemia, there is a 25 percent chance that each of the offspring will not have the abnormal blood gene and will not have thalassemia. There is also a 50 percent chance they will only inherit the abnormal blood genetics from one parent so they become carriers.
Dangers of Thalassemia in Children
Children born with thalassemia major are often severely anemic and require lifelong care, including periodic blood transfusions and other medications. In addition, their bodies will have a very low oxygen capacity.
Meanwhile, children who have thalassemia can also have a risk of complications for health conditions such as:
- Growth is stunted or slower than children in general.
- Heart and liver problems.
- Diseases of the endocrine system such as diabetes or thyroid disease.
- Blood clotting.
- Osteoporosis.
- Diseases due to excess iron.
- How to Do a Thalassemia Test
Although the inheritance of thalassemia is not always certain for each partner, having a thalassemia test before marriage is still useful because it can provide important information to couples about the risks of the disease to their children and enable them to make wiser decisions regarding family planning.
In some countries, pre-marital thalassemia testing has become part of the mandatory pre-marriage screening program. This aims to identify couples who are at risk of having children with thalassemia major and provide education and the right choices for these couples.
To do this test, your partner can visit a hospital or health clinic that provides blood tests. After taking blood, the sample will be examined by medical experts in the laboratory before determining whether the individual has or carries thalassemia.
If you don't want to go to the hospital, now there are also health services that offer blood tests from home safely and easily. For more information, you can find out about the Complete Thalassemia Examination.
That's the importance of a thalassemia test before marriage that you and your partner should know.