[Medical care of pregnant women with beta-thalassaemia minor, including care during delivery (author's transl)].

The diagnostic and therapeutic problems connected with beta-thalassaemia minor during pregnancy are demonstrated by describing the cases of 26 women hospitalised during a total of 38 deliveries in the authors' clinic. All patients came from the Mediterranean area and showed the disease pattern of beta-thalassaemia minor both in the erythrocyte count and in haemoglobin electrophoresis. This aenemia, which is rather rare, reamined largely constant, with few exceptions. Iron substitution during pregnancy was effected only if an iron deficiency was found, the iron level in the serum being subjected to repeated control examinations. These risk pregnancies were controlled by CT scanning, mainly to detect any possible foetal hypoxia caused by aenemia. There was no increased incidence of deformities of the newborn, nor of premature births. However, there was a slight increase of the mean placental weight. This hypertrophy was probably the manifestation of a compensation mechanism. The proportion of slightly depressed newborn was also increased. The importance of examining the partner as well, is emphasised.