Esraa Elsayed Abass

Back ground: Functional capacity is an individual’s ability to perform daily activities related to the participation in the community. Beta-thalassemia is a blood disorder characterized by decreased production of hemoglobin which may in turn results in anemia in early age that affects the children abilities to perform activity.
Purpose: the aim of the current study was to detect how β- thalassemia major can affect the functional capacity and energy expenditure of the affected children and the degree of deviation from their normal peers.
Methods: Thirty-three children (5girls and 8 boys) suffering from β- thalassemia major with age ranged from 6 to 12 years in addition to twenty volunteer normal age matched children (12 girls and 8boys) participated in the current study. Participants underwent
measuring functional capacity by 6 minutes’ walk test and energy expenditure detected by energy expenditure index and comparison was made between the affected and normal children was made to detect how can β- thalassemia affect their functional performance.
Results: the results of the current study showed that there was a statistically significant decrease in the functional capacity and increase in the energy expenditure in children suffering from β- thalassemia when compared with their normal peers (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: Iron deposition due to repeated blood transfusions which affects different body organs as (heart, lungs) may play a central role in functional capacity differences between β-thalassemia major and their peers

Audience Takeaway:

• This presentation will provide information about the difference in physical abilities of children with thalassemia
• Will concentrates about the physical therapy point of view and how to improve quality of life
• This study will help other specialties to expands their research and teach