Thalassemia syndromes are inherited disorders of alpha- or beta-globin biosynthesis. The reduced availability of globin decreases the production of hemoglobin tetramers, giving rise to hypochromia and microcytosis. There is unbalanced accumulation of alpha or beta subunits because the synthesis of unaffected globins continues at a normal speed. This unbalanced accumulation dominates the clinical phenotype. The clinical severity varies widely, depending on the degree of disorder of the synthesis of the affected globin, the altered synthesis of other globin chains and simultaneous inheritance of other abnormal globin alleles. The incidence of these syndromes during pregnancy in all races is one in 300 to 500.