Little Stars & She Women and Children’s Hospital is highlighting the need of prompt intervention and comprehensive treatment for thalassemia as part of its ongoing efforts to promote early identification and increase public awareness about inherited blood diseases.
Thousands of youngsters in India are affected by this hereditary blood condition. The hospital’s Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation, headed by renowned pediatric hematologist Dr. Ramana Dandamudi, is at the forefront of addressing this condition through cutting-edge diagnostics, preventive counseling, and top-notch treatment protocols, all with the goal of saving lives and improving long-term outcomes for young patients.
Little Stars & She, a renowned pediatric hospital in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, is steadfast in its efforts to fight thalassemia, one of the most prevalent single-gene diseases in the world. Thalassemia, which affects the body’s capacity to create normal hemoglobin, first appears in early infancy and is characterized by symptoms including anemia, slowed development, and enlarged liver and spleen. The illness may be lethal in the first few years of life if it is not identified and treated promptly. Approximately 10,000–12,000 of the 300,000 children born with significant hemoglobinopathies each year occur in India, according to worldwide health statistics. It is concerning to note that over 35 million people, or almost 3.5% of India’s total population, have the thalassemia trait. Every pregnancy in which both parents are carriers increases the likelihood that the unborn child will have thalassemia major by 25%.
“The key to combating thalassemia is early detection,” says Dr. Ramana Dandamudi, MBBS, DCH, MRCPI (Ireland), and a fellowship-trained pediatric hematologist and oncologist in the United Kingdom. “In terms of treatment, we have made great progress—thalassemia is no longer a fatal condition. We can guarantee that impacted children lead healthy, productive lives with chelation treatment, bone marrow transplants, and recurrent blood transfusions. However, prevention is still crucial, and knowledge and genetic counseling are the first steps in this process.
A comprehensive care strategy has been developed at Little Stars & She to assist patients with thalassemia from diagnosis through treatment. In order to maintain normal hemoglobin levels, children with thalassemia major usually need packed red blood cell transfusions every three to four weeks. Along with transfusions, patients receive routine medical examinations that include HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C screens; blood sugar monitoring; thyroid and liver function testing; and cardiac assessments. These treatments improve pediatric patients’ quality of life in addition to extending their lifespan.
Prenatal diagnosis represents a major advancement in the fight against illness. “Ultrasound-guided chorionic villus sampling (CVS) has made it possible for us to conduct prenatal testing as early as 9 to 11 weeks into pregnancy,” says Dr. Dandamudi. This enables us to determine if a pregnancy is impacted and provide families with well-informed options. Important public health measures that may help prevent the birth of children with thalassemia include population screening, carrier identification, genetic counseling, and prenatal diagnosis.
Public health outreach from the hospital is also very important. Little Stars & She, led by Dr. Dandamudi, works with advocacy organizations and national health efforts to educate communities about reproductive choices and carrier status. These programs highlight how crucial prenatal and premarital testing is, particularly in areas with high carrier frequencies.
Dr. Ramana Dandamudi has been a trailblazer in pediatric hematology and oncology in India for more than 30 years. In 1995, his vision introduced specialized pediatric cancer and thalassemia treatment to unified Andhra Pradesh, and his compassionate, evidence-based care continues to change lives today. In addition to raising clinical standards, his efforts have established Little Stars & She as a regional referral center for complicated pediatric hematologic diseases.
The hospital reaffirms its steadfast commitment to improving pediatric care via early diagnosis, expert-led treatment, and strong preventative measures as thalassemia awareness grows. Little Stars & She Women and Children’s Hospital provides families looking for a caring and all-encompassing care setting with the guarantee of quality, supported by decades of medical leadership and a resolute goal for a future free of thalassemia.
