International Journal of Tropical Medicine
ISSN: Online 1818-779XISSN: Print 1816-3319
Abstract
Hemoglobin disorders represent a substantial cause of anemia worldwide, posing challenges during pregnancy. Thus, it is crucial to detect hemoglobin disorders during the prenatal period, as this not only helps anticipate the risk of thalassemia in offspring but also mitigates the complications associated with pregnancy‐related anemia. Consequently, devising an affordable and reliable screening approach for hemoglobin disorders holds paramount importance. This study aimed to assess the utility of red blood cell (RBC) parameters, in identifying thalassemia carriers among healthy pregnant women receiving care at a tertiary hospital in Central India. Blood samples were obtained from 458 pregnant women aged 18 years or older, at less than 17 weeks of gestation and were subjected to complete blood count analysis, serum ferreting assessment and high‐performance liquid chromatography for abnormal hemoglobin detection. Pregnant women diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia (serum ferreting <15 ng/ml) were excluded from the study. The prevalence of hemoglobinopathies was determined to be 12.23%, with ß‐thalassemia trait (BTT) being the most prevalent subtype (7.86%). Individuals with BTT exhibited significantly lower levels of all RBC parameters compared to those with normal hemoglobin or other hemoglobinopathies. RBC parameters, including Hb, RBC count, MCV and MCH, can serve as a cost‐effective and highly efficient screening method for identifying various hemoglobin disorders among pregnant women receiving antenatal care.
How to cite this article:
Nishi Mishra, Rekha Patel, Abhinav Junwal and Deepika Anuragi. Beta Thalassemia Carrier Detection Through RBC Metrics in Antenatal Females A Cross‐Sectional Study.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36478/10.59218/makijtm.2024.2.21.24
URL: https://www.makhillpublications.co/view-article/1816-3319/10.59218/makijtm.2024.2.21.24