To investigate the identification and management of pregnant women with mild thalassemia in Beijing.

Clinical data of 6 pregnant women diagnosed with thalassemia at Peking University Shougang Hospital between October 2016 and June 2022 were analyzed retrospectively.

All the six cases were newly-diagnosed patients and suspected as having thalassemia due to routine blood test abnormalities, and confirmed by genetic tests. They all had mild thalassemia, with 4 cases of α-thalassemia and 2 cases of β-thalassemia. They experienced varying levels of iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy and were treated according to serum ferritin levels. Three α-thalassemia patients delivered vaginally, while the left one was still in pregnancy. One β-thalassemia patient delivered by caesarean section at our hospital and another delivered vaginally at other hospital. Three newborns were suspected as having thalassemia.

Thalassemia can be easily misdiagnosed since it has a low incidence rate in Beijing. Routine blood test combined with serum ferritin test could be used as a preliminary screening method for thalassemia in pregnant women. Early identification and diagnosis, reasonable intervention, and prevention of maternal and child complications are of great significance for maternal health care and offspring health.