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TITLE:

AWARENESS AMONG THE PARENTS OF CHILDREN AFFECTED WITH THALASSEMIA AND IMPACT OF CONSANGUINEOUS MARRIAGES ON THE INCIDENCE OF THALASSEMIA

AUTHORS:

Dr Abdul Rauf, Dr Uzma Chohan, Dr Muhammad Akram , Dr Muhammad Irfan Khan, Dr Tayyaba Batool, Dr Anila Shamim Bukhari

ABSTRACT:

Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the awareness among the caretakers of thalassemia sufferers about the disease, prenatal diagnosis, and premarital screening for carrier detection and to assess the impact of consanguineous marriage in disease transmission in district Sargodha. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Sargodha Medical College, Sargodha and Bahawal Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur. Period: April to September 2017. Material and Methods: A sample of 135 thalassemia patients was chosen by random sampling. Caretakers of patients with thalassemia were enrolled for data collection after taking consent. Self-administered questionnaire was given to the respondents and their reflections were observed. Collected data was analyzed using SPSS 16.0. Results: There were 77 male (57%) and 58 female (43%) patients with mean age of 8.16 years. The maximum number of cases was diagnosed at the age of 6 months (27%). About 70 respondents (52%) thought cousin marriages have an impact on incidence of thalassemia. 52 patients (39%) had a positive family history of thalassemia. 91 respondents (67%) told thalassemia as a genetic disease. Only one respondent (0.74%) knew about the pre-marital screening and two respondents knew about the prenatal diagnostic test before the diagnosis of thalassemia in their patients. Conclusion: Insight about thalassemia, prenatal diagnosis, and premarital screening was inadequate among the caretakers even after the diagnosis of the disease. This requires intervention in the form of public health educational programs concentrating on high risk population. Males are affected more than females. The incidence of thalassemia was high in progeny of consanguineous marriages and in castes which strictly marry within their caste. Key Words: Thalassemia, Consanguinity ratio, Awareness of thalassemia.

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