1. Does marriage among relative increase the risk of having a child with thalassemia?

This genetically is called consanguinity and it does increase the risk of a child being affected by 25 per cent under the circumstances, if both parents are carriers of the mutated gene for this condition.

2. Does treatment help in normal sexual development?

With current therapy normal growth and sexual development occurs but compliance with treatment is a problem, especially in teenagers.

3. What is hemoglobin?

Hemoglobin is the remarkable protein that enables red blood cells to carry oxygen and carbon dioxide. It consists of two parts: heme and globin. Hemoglobin is essential for the existence of human life.

4. Why people for certain countries are affected (for example, in the Pacific and Southeast Asia)?

It has been suggested that this disorder has achieved a high frequency in some populations to protect against malaria thalassemia gene evolved to protect the individual against malaria infection.