Possibility for thalassemia major to have a child!!??

Hello everyone,
So basically my question is that "is it possible for thalsssemia major to conceive a child with normal guy"?
What could be main problems in conceiving a child?
Any help would be appreciated a lot
Thank you..

Yes, many thal major women have children. Some naturally and some using IVF. The biggest issue is fertility, which is usually affected by iron and oxidative stress. Keeping the iron load as low as possible and using antioxidant supplements like natural vitamin E can help.

Hi,

I am a Beta Thal Major. I am happy to tell you that Thals do get pregnant and have a child. My pregnancy came naturally without any help.

You have to keep iron levels low and maintain a good Hb is a key to a healthy body 

Nur

Hi Nur,

Im also planning to concieve. Pls tell me wat was ur hb range when you concieved naturally? And how many months it took?

Here is some data for reference from Northern California Children's Hospital website

http://hemonc.cho.org/thalassemia/living-with-thal-fertility.aspx

Shimani - In your case as you haven't had a lot of transfusions a lot might not be relevant as this is for Thal (Major) who are transfussing from their 1st year.

Fertility and Pregnancy

Delayed puberty and primary or secondary amenorrhea due to iron overload are common complications in transfused thalassemic females. Iron can cause damage to the hypothalamicpituitary axis and possibly to the ovaries and testes. As with prevention of other endocrinopathies, it is important to ensure adequate chelation starting in early childhood and through adolescence. (Also see Section 9.2.4, regarding evaluation of adolescent females and males with delayed puberty due to endocrinopathy.)

Adult fertility status in both genders may be assessed by testing LH, FSH, and estradiol in females (can be tested at any time if females are menstruating) and LH, FSH, and testosterone in males. Obtain free T4, TSH, ACTH, and cortisol stimulation tests to assess central hypothalamic-pituitary axis function. In females with amenorrhea, obtain prolactin levels.

If gonadotropins (LH, FSH) are elevated, there has been primary testicular or ovarian failure. If LH, FSH, and estradiol or testosterone are low, there is likely a hypothalamic-pituitary axis failure or secondary failure. However, in this situation, the presence of ovarian or testicular failure cannot be ruled out in addition to the pituitary failure. If pregnancy is sought, additional evaluation and treatment require referral to a reproductive center.

In the past, pregnancy was uncommon and often discouraged because of risk. Now, with improved treatment including transfusion and chelation, pregnancies are relatively common. Both spontaneous pregnancies and in vitro fertilization have been successful. Pregnancy even in patients who develop amenorrhea is being observed. Pregnancy in a patient with thalassemia is high-risk and requires multidisciplinary management. Deaths due to cardiac failure occur.

Patients with cardiac disease and significant cardiac iron are at particular risk. Optimal transfusion therapy and iron control should be established before pregnancy. There is limited data on iron chelators administered during the first trimester, and risks do exist. While iron chelation during pregnancy should generally be avoided, normal births have occurred in mothers on chelation.

Shimani - You might also want to check the post that relates to thal(minor) pregnancy at http://www.thalassemiapatientsandfriends.com/index.php/topic,3041.0.html - Your Hemoglobin level needs to be optimal during pregnancy so you might need transfusion during pregnancy. Are you taking iron chelation medicine? If so, they might need to be stopped after being pregnant.