Thalassemia is a genetic condition and cannot be prevented.
Screening for thalassaemia in couples who are planning to have children or are expecting a child is recommended. If both parents carry the same type of thalassaemia mutations (i.e. both have α thalassaemia or both have β thalassaemia) they are at risk of having children with clinically significant thalassaemia. Antenatal testing of their foetuses for thalassaemia mutations may be carried out by the foetal maternal specialists using specialised procedures.
