Mother, Don't Worry, Children With Thalasemia Can Live Healthyly With The Right Diet

Blood Illustration (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Thalasemia is a hereditary or genetic disease, with the most common symptoms found, namely a pale face, a yellow child, and a distended stomach due to swelling in the liver and runoff. Although it is almost similar to a disease of iron deficiency or anemia, he said, these two diseases are very different, because thalasemia cannot be cured and requires life-long treatment. This disease comes from birth, where children cannot produce red blood cells properly, which of course must depend on others to get red blood cells. Their bodies cannot produce red blood cells, so the growth and development cannot be good," said Consultant and Hemato-Oncologist at the Faculty of Medicine's University of Indonesia (FK UI) Dr. Dr. Teny Tjitra Sari quoted from ANTARA, Tuesday, May 16.

He said, patients with thalasemia or blood disorders can still live healthy with proper management. "As long as they get good governance, red blood cells can bring oxygen to children's growth and development, so if the transfusions are good, medicines support quality of life, will produce thalasemia children who can live healthy and have good quality," he said., because in addition to having to routinely translate and drink medicine, the foods that we can control, try not to consume red meat, such as beef and chicken livers are prohibited because the iron is very high," he said.

Selain makanan, suplemen seperti vitamin C dengan kadar tinggi juga dilarang, karena vitamin C dapat menyerap zat besi, sehingga pada penderita thalasemia, zat besi tersebut dapat ikut pecah.“Jeruk boleh, kadarnya maksimal 75 mg, paling cuma bisa satu buah, lalu kismis yang biasanya ada di roti, itu vitamin C-nya tinggi juga tidak boleh, kalau susu sangat dianjurkan, karena susu itu bagus untuk memberi nutrisi pada tulang-tulang,” katanya.Mengingat thalasemia adalah penyakit keturunan, maka ia menyarankan agar pasangan yang akan menikah dapat memeriksakan darah terlebih dahulu pada fasilitas kesehatan yang menyediakan analisis hemoglobin (protein yang ada dalam sel darah merah).“Sebenarnya pemerintah sudah mencanangkan analisis hemoglobin (HB) pada anak-anak mulai dari kelas tujuh SMP, jadi dia sudah tahu jati dirinya, normal atau pembawa sifat. Kalau pembawa sifat, jangan bertemu dengan sesama pembawa sifat,” pungkas Teny Tjitra Sari.