Most babies born with beta thalassaemia will not show any symptoms until they are around six months old. This is because infants begin life with a different sort of haemoglobin, known as foetal haemoglobin. This haemoglobin is replaced by normal haemoglobin six months after birth.
Symptoms of beta thalassaemia include:
- fatigue
- weakness
- shortness of breath
- a yellow discoloration of the skin (jaundice)
Children with beta thalassaemia major (BTM) or severe beta thalassaemia intermediate (BTI) may also experience skeletal deformities (where the bones grow in unusual ways), as their body tries to compensate for the lack of haemoglobin by producing more bone marrow.
If you have BTM, your body will absorb more iron from food in an effort to make more haemoglobin, which sometimes can lead to an excess of iron. Too much iron can cause tissue damage, particularly to the liver and spleen, making the body more vulnerable to infection.
Iron can also affect the body’s hormonal system, meaning that the development of the body during puberty may be delayed, or never happen at all.
Left untreated, BTM puts an intolerable strain on the body, and children with the condition are unlikely to live for more than five years. Death is usually the result of heart failure or infection.
