Thalassemia is a hereditary hemolytic anemia caused by a deficiency in the synthesis of one or more polypeptide chains in the globin of hemoglobin. The word thalassemia is a Greek word meaning sea blood disease, because it was first discovered and is common in the Mediterranean region. Depending on the deficiency in the alpha, beta or both delta and beta chains, it is called α-Thal, β-Thal or delta –β Thal.