Abstract

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Thalassemia is genetic disorder in globin chain production, or it refers to a group of blood disease characterized by decrease synthesis of one of two types of poly peptide chain ( α or ß ) that form a normal adult human hemoglobin molecule ( Hb A- α2 ß2 ) resulting in decrease filling of red cell with hemoglobin and anemia .Growth retardation can occur as a complication of thalassemia as early as the 1st or 2nd year of life but these abnormalities are more prominent after the 6 – 8 years of life . OBJECTIVE: The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the relationship of growth failure and sexual maturity rate (SMR) in children with β-thalassemia major in comparison with controls. MATERIAL AND METHOD : In this case-control study, the growth parameters ( height ,weight ,and sexual maturation ) and S.ferritin of 38 patients aged 8-16 years (24 males 14 females) with β-thalassemia major who were attending thalassemia center in Erbil city Iraqi Kurdistan were compared with those of 38 healthy controls of the same age and gender. RESULTS: Underweight and short stature were found in 23 (61%), 30(79%) of patient group and 3(8%), 3(8%) of control group, the mean age of menarche for female patients was 12.31±2.3 and for control female 11.12±1.31years, The SMR were delayed in 37(97.5%) of patients and in 2 (5.5%) of controls. the level of serum ferritin had no significant relationship with delayed SMR. CONCLUSION: Growth failure (underweight and short stature) and delay SMR significantly occur in thalassemia patients compared to controls, and such growth retardation was more likely to occur after 10 years of duration of the disease