However, the prime criteria for choosing a bride or groom should be a thalassemia test Awareness plays a major role in thalassemia. Premarital screening has been available for decades, but hasn't been successful in India. And, there have been genuine improvements in the symptomatic management of all these conditions over the last 20 years.Comprehensive genetic counseling is offered to all proved or suspected couples at risk by teams trained in genetic counseling centers. An important challenge is to develop pre-implantation genetic diagnosis as many couples are distressed by having affected children in consecutive pregnancies. Investment in grass root level techniques for premarital screening would be worthwhile, as this would help to provide diagnosis in peripheral areas also.

Source: Economic Times May 08, 2018 06:56 UTC