What to do if your child has thalassemia

There are many types of thalassemia. Some milder patients do not need treatment, and improving their daily diet will not affect the normal development of the child. However, if the condition is too severe, good treatment methods are needed.

Children with thalassemia have dark, mottled skin. In addition, the liver and spleen gradually enlarge, with splenomegaly being the most obvious, and can reach the pelvic cavity. As the liver and spleen become larger, the more seriously they affect the development of the child's other myocardial organs, such as the liver and pancreas. Once these important organs are damaged, it will cause heart failure, liver fibrosis and liver failure, which may cause the child's death.

As for the condition of thalassemia, some cases are mild and easy to treat. The most important thing is to change the diet and correct the anemia through diet. Eat foods rich in iron, such as green leafy vegetables, pork liver, etc., and various fresh fruits rich in iron. These foods are beneficial to thalassemia patients and can speed up recovery. However, there are foods that are not good for Mediterranean patients to eat, that is milk. Milk is not easy to digest and the nutrients in it cannot be well utilized. Therefore, Mediterranean patients cannot use milk to recover during their illness.

Intermediate thalassemia needs to be taken seriously. The general treatment is medication, improving resistance to prevent infection, and supplementing with more vitamins and folic acid. Some patients will agree to blood transfusion to treat anemia, which is also a very important treatment method nowadays.

When thalassemia is more serious, surgical treatment is required. Splenectomy is the most effective treatment for thalassemia, but it is not very effective for beta thalassemia. Because splenectomy can damage a person's immunity, it should be performed only in patients with a verified age and good immunity.