Anemia is a medical term that refers to a low red blood cell count. The blood is composed of both a plasma and a cellular part. The cellular part contains red blood cells, which are made in the bone marrow; they deliver oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body with the help of hemoglobin. All hemoglobin molecules consist of heme, made of iron and protoporphyrin, and globin subunits. Therefore, all these components are necessary to make red blood cells; dysfunction in any part can lead to anemia. Hemoglobin A, the adult form, consists of alpha and beta globin. Hemoglobin F is the primary hemoglobin produced by the fetus. It consists of alpha and gamma globin.

Typically, production of Hemoglobin F stops at birth. ...