A person is referred to as a silent carrier when one of the four alpha-globin genes is missing, malfunctioning or defective. In the silent carrier state, there are generally no health problems because the decrease in the production of alpha-globin chains is insignificant compared to healthy individuals. A person with this condition is called a ‘silent carrier’ because of the difficulty in detection and no obvious clinical symptoms. It is very important to know if you are a silent carrier because your children may develop more serious symptoms of alpha thalassaemia if your partner is also a carrier or a thalassaemic.

How do you know if you’re a carrier?
Determining whether or not you are a carrier is a matter of having some tests done on your blood. If your family has a history of thalassaemia there is also a chance that you could be a carrier, even if you have no symptoms. Ask your doctor or your local Thalassaemia Association for information on screening programs.