Thalassemia is an inherited condition that causes a problem in the production of hemoglobin. This leads to anemia, which is a low red blood cell count.

What is going on in the body?

Hemoglobin carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues. It also carries away the waste product of carbon dioxide. In thalassemia, something goes wrong with the production of hemoglobin. When defective hemoglobin is incorporated into red blood cells, the red blood cells do not function properly. They are more likely to die off. This leads to anemia.

Thalassemia is an inherited disorder. In a person with thalassemia, one or both parents are positive for the disease. When one parent is positive, the child will have thalassemia minor. When both parents are positive, the child will have thalassemia major.

What are the causes and risks of the disease?

Thalassemia is a common genetic disease. It is more common in people of African, Mediterranean, and Asian heritage