Guidance

Baby at risk of having thalassaemia: description in brief

Information to help healthcare professionals speak with parents at risk of having a child with thalassaemia.

• From: NHS England
• Published: 1 January 2014
• Last updated: 5 February 2025
  Show all updates

  1. 5 February 2025

     Updated NHS England contact information

  2. 12 January 2021

     Updated information for parents and reformatted as HTML publication.

  3. 19 April 2018

     Updated with new statement on use of personal data and copyright.

  4. 8 August 2017

     Updated version of patient information leaflet.

  5. 1 January 2014

     First published.

Documents

Information and choices for women and couples at risk of having a baby with thalassaemia major

HTML

Details

This publication explains the risks for a baby when both parents carry an unusual haemoglobin gene, at least one of which is for thalassaemia.

It includes information about:

• what thalassaemia is
• the different conditions the baby might inherit
• diagnostic testing for thalassaemia
• treatment options
• having another baby