Alpha thalassemia is the most common single gene disorder world wide. The genetic defect in alpha thalassemia is characterized by the decrease or complete suppression of alpha globin polypeptide chain synthesis. The most frequent underlying cause of this group of disorders is the deletion of one or more of the normal complement of four alpha globin genes. Population surveys have shown that - alpha 3.7 and - alpha 4.2 alleles are predominant in North African and Mediterranean area