What is Thalassemia?
Thalassemias are inherited blood disorders that cause the body to make fewer healthy red blood cells and less hemoglobin. People with thalassemias can have mild or severe anemia. Thalassemia major, also called Cooley’s anemia, is a severe form of anemia in which red blood cells are rapidly destroyed and iron is deposited in the skin and vital organs. Thalassemias affect both males and females and occur most often in people of Mediterranean descent.
Signs and Symptoms of Thalassemias
Signs and symptoms of thalassemias are caused by lack of oxygen in the bloodstream and vary depending on the severity of the disorder.
Beta thalassemia intermedia (mild to moderate):
- Anemia
- Slowed growth and delayed puberty
- Brittle bones or bones that are wider than normal
- Enlarged spleen
Beta thalassemia major:
- Pale and listless appearance
- Poor appetite
- Dark urine
- Jaundice
- Enlarged spleen, liver and heart
- Bone problems (especially the bones of the face)
Management of Children with Thalassemia
Treatment options available to children with thalassemia include:
- Taking folic acid to build healthy blood cells
- Transfusions of red blood cells
- Iron chelation therapy to remove excess iron from the blood resulting from the transfusions.
- Blood and bone marrow stem cell transplants can offer a cure for children with severe thalassemia
For more information about our program please call (305) 662-8360 or toll free at
1-888-MCH-BMT2 (1-888-624-2682 )
Contact the Sickle Cell and Blood Disorders Program
using our online contact form
For more information about our Bone Marrow Transplant Program.
Sources include KidsHealth and National Heart Lung and Blood Institute