Abstract: Screening for thalassemia and other hemoglobinopathies in the major maternity hospitals in Melbourne, Australia has shown that 6% of the patient population carries a clinically significant genetic abnormality. The most common of these are beta-thalassemia (3%). HbS (1.8%), HbE (0.5%) and alpha0 thalassemia (0.4%). Approximately 60 prenatal diagnoses for the clinically significant combinations of these abnormal genes are performed annually in the 2 major centers of Melbourne and Sydney. The majority of these prenatal diagnoses are for beta-thalassemia major (65%). whilst 11% are for Bart's hydrops fetalis, 8% for HbE/beta-thalassemia. 6% for HbS/beta-thalassemia, 2% for sickle cell anemia and the remaining 8% for other combinations of thalassemia/hemoglobinopathies. Of the 178 patients with beta-thalassemia major, sickle cell disease or beta-thalassemia in combination with HbE or HbS, only 5 are less than 5 years old, reflecting both the success of the screening program and the increasing acceptance by couples of 1st trimester prenatal diagnosis.
Publication Year: 1999
Publication Date: 1999-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 6
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