Distribution of patients by age at initiation of blood transfusion Age blood transfusion α - Thalassemia n (%) β - Thalassemia n (%) In common (%) p (test 2) <1 yearold 3 (23, 1) 14 (37, 7) 17 (34, 0) >0, 05 1-<3years old 1 (7, 6) 10 (27, 0) 11 (22, 0) 3-<5years old 6 (46, 2) 7 (18, 9) 13 (26, 0) >5 years old 3 (23, 1) 6 (16, 2) 9 (18, 0) Total 13 (26, 0) 37 (74, 0) 50 (100, 0) Comments: 64.7% of β-thalassemia patients started to need blood transfusion at the age of <3 years, while 69.3% of α-thalassemia patients started to need blood 13 transfusion at the age of >3 years old.