Learning Disabilities And Psychological Problems Of Thalassemic Children:

Omima Mohammed Abd El-haie

Beta thalassemia major is a chronic hemolytic anemia. Children usually presented with pallor, loss of appetite, failure to thrive and hpatosplenomegaly. Repeated blood transfusions are the basis of therapy to prevent anemia. Severe iron overload develops progressively in patients with transfusion dependant homozygous B thalassemia. Therefore iron chelating agent is given in the form of subcutaneous in fusion of desferrioxamine.This study was carried out to detect compliacation of B thalassemia major as growth and puberty retardation as well as hearing and visual problems and their relation to compliance to therapy and how IQ, psychological status and school performance of hese children affected by these complications.Sixty thalassemic children with age ranged from 9-18 year of both sexes classified into 2 groups consisting of 30 patients and 20 normal school children as control group.The 1st group were receiving desferrioxamin regularly in a dose of 20 : 50 mg/kg/day and the 2nd group do not receive the drug or receive it irregularly.