title: Reproductive behaviour of mothers of children with beta-thalassaemia major.
abstract: Thalassaemia is the most common monogenic autosomal hereditary disease worldwide. This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study looked at the reproductive behaviour of 156 mothers of children affected with beta-thalassaemia major (Cooley anaemia) in Fars province, southern Islamic Republic of Iran. Regardless of the number of affected children, the parents of children with Cooley anaemia had an average of 3 unaffected children, the same as the average for the provincial population. The findings indicate that reproductive compensation occurs in families with a child with Cooley anaemia in this province. Genetic counselling, either before marriage or after the birth of the first affected child, had a significant effect on lowering the number of children born.
authors.affiliation: Medical Education and Research Centre, National Iranian Oil Company Health Organization, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran. farrokh.habibzadeh@gmail.com
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Habibzadeh
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yadollahie
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roshanipoor
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haghshenas
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005817:Genetic Counseling / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D043762:Reproductive Behavior / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000191:economics / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy