Risks associated with cardiac failure are the
primary concern for women with thalassaemia
during pregnancy. Iron-induced cardiac failure has
been found to be responsible for up to 67% of all
deaths associated with thalassaemia (Sayani et al,
2009), and these symptoms are aggravated during
pregnancy. Heart failure and arrhythmia can occur
as a result of increased demands on circulatory
requirements, and damage to the heart can occur
from an overload of iron. Another major risk for
women diagnosed with thalassaemia is endocrine
dysfunction leading to the development of diabetes
mellitus, hypothyroidism and a reduced efficiency
of endocrine glands (Li et al, 2014).