Beta-thalassemia syndromes and pregnancy.

The literature relating to homozygous beta-thalassemia and the problems these patients have during their pregnancy is reviewed and another case report of a twin pregnancy in a homozygous beta-thalassemia individual is included. The majority of cases described refer to the intermedia clinical form of the hematological problem because patients with thalassemia major generally have poor sexual development. Although the reported cases had a greater frequency of delayed development, only one woman suffered from infertility and required ovulation induction agents. The thalassemia pregnant mother faces deleterious consequences resulting from chronic anemia and in nonsplenectomized patients there remains the risk of the onset of a hypersplenic crisis. The problems of splenectomized patients during pregnancy is also discussed. The chronic anemia of thalassemic patients predisposes to a poor fetal outcome with greater fetal loss, preterm labor, and intrauterine growth retardation.