June 07, Colombo (LNW): Health professionals are encouraging prospective parents to undergo a simple blood screening test that could play a crucial role in reducing the number of children born with serious inherited blood conditions.
Consultant Haematologist Dr. Chathurma Piyarathna highlighted the importance of early detection, noting that genetic disorders such as thalassaemia continue to pose a significant public health challenge. She explained that the likelihood of these conditions being passed on to children increases when both parents carry the thalassaemia trait. Marriages between close relatives can also heighten the risk of inherited disorders due to shared genetic characteristics.
According to Dr. Piyarathna, if two carriers have a child, there is a one-in-four chance that the child will be born with severe thalassaemia, while there is a 50 per cent probability that the child will inherit the carrier status without developing the full condition.
She stressed that a routine blood test, which is both accessible and relatively inexpensive, can identify carriers before marriage or pregnancy, allowing couples to seek medical advice and make informed decisions regarding family planning.
Medical experts say greater awareness of carrier screening could significantly reduce the incidence of severe thalassaemia cases, easing both the emotional and financial burden on affected families. Patients with major thalassaemia often require lifelong medical care, including regular blood transfusions and specialised treatment.
Dr. Piyarathna further revealed that an estimated three per cent of Sri Lanka’s population are carriers of the thalassaemia gene, underscoring the importance of expanding public education and screening programmes across the country.
Health authorities continue to encourage young adults and couples planning to start families to consider genetic screening as part of routine healthcare, describing it as a simple step that can have a lasting impact on future generations.
