Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder, which is caused by changes in the genes that help make hemoglobin.

Thalassemia is prevalent in populations in the Mediterranean area, the Middle East, Trans Caucasus, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Far East. Worldwide 56,000 conceptions have a major thalassemia disorder of which approximately 30,000 are affected by β-thalassemia major and 3500 succumb perinatally from the hydrops fetalis syndrome.