Chorionic Villus Sampling can be done from weeks 10-13 of the pregnancy. This test can determine the thalassemia status of the fetus. Often a decision on whether or not to continue the pregnancy will be made based on the results.
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, PGD, and IVF can be used to screen for thalassemia, and only thal-free eggs would be used in the IVF. This process can take a lot of time and may take several attempts to have a successful pregnancy, but the child would not carry thal.