A pediatrician advised pregnant women to undergo screening for thalassemia and sickle cell anemia between 14 to 16 weeks of gestation. These inherited blood disorders, characterized by insufficient hemoglobin or misshapen red blood cells, can affect children if both parents carry the disease-causing gene. Early detection and treatment can mitigate risks. The advice was given at an awareness program organized by Praja Arogya Vedika and the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, which also cautioned against unadvised iron supplement intake.