Page 209 - Critical Maternity & Newborn Health Nursing
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(II) β-Thalassemia:
a) β - thalassemia major (homozygotes):
The disorder starts in childhood leading to death of the patient mostly in
the 2nd or 3rd decade.
b) β -thalassemia minor (heterozygotes): As a - thalassemia minor.
Effect on pregnancy:
• (β -Thalassemia major is rarely encountered in pregnant women, but
if this happened the prognosis is poor.
• Anemia becomes severe in mid-pregnancy and may result in
• heart failure.
Sickle Cell Anemia
• An autosomal inherited disorder in which glutamic acid in
position 6 of the (b - chain of the hemoglobin molecule is HbS
on exposure to hypoxia forms insoluble aggregations and
RBCs become sickle-shaped and are subsequently
fragmented.
• In addition, these sickle-shaped cells increase the blood viscosity
and occlude blood vessels of various organs.
• The manifestations appear usually in homozygous not in
heterozygous.
Clinical picture:
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