According to the Thalassaemia International Federation (TIF) Guidelines for Clinical Management, iron overload constitutes "the most important complication in β-thalassemia and the major focus of clinical management") (1).
TIF guidelines recommend screening for iron overload at the onset of transfusions. Iron overload is likely to be detected after the first 10-20 transfusions (near age 3 years) (2):
TIF guidelines recommend treatment for iron overload when serum ferritin levels reach about 1000 mcg/L, or after the first 10-20 transfusions (2).