As with my chronic illness, the family’s need must be met for optimum adjustment to the stresses imposed by the disorder. (See Chapter 22.) Sources of information for the family are the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation and the Thalassemia Action Group. Genetic counseling for the parents and fertile offspring is mandatory. And both prenatal diagnosis using amniocentesis or fetal blood sampling and screening for thalassemia trait are available. There has been a marked decline in the number of new case of thalassemia worldwide. This may be a result of education and testing of parents.