Growth of children with thalassaemia: effect of different transfusion regimens.

Growth was studied in 74 children with homozygous β-thalassaemia aged 1 to 11 years, treated with three different transfusion regimens. In group I (38 cases) haemoglobin levels were maintained above 8 g./100 ml.; in group II (14 cases), pretransfusion haemoglobin levels ranged between 6 and 8 g./100 ml.; in group III (22 children), pretransfusion haemoglobin levels were below 6 g./100 ml. Children in group I grew normally, both in weight and height; those in groups II and III were retarded, particularly those in group III. Frequent transfusions, in spite of their disadvantages, at present constitute the treatment of choice.