Antenatal screening for thalassemia minor.

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Hematology
• Medical Screening

Background:

• Thalassemia minor and iron deficiency anemia are common conditions in pregnancy.
• Early detection is crucial for optimal maternal and fetal health.
• Screening protocols can improve diagnostic rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a screening program for thalassemia minor in obstetric patients.
• To assess the prevalence of thalassemia minor and iron deficiency in this population.
• To determine the utility of mean corpuscular volume (MCV) as an initial screening parameter.

Main Methods:

• Screening of 918 obstetric patients using erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume (MCV) < 80 fL.
• Further evaluation included serum iron, total iron binding capacity, hemoglobin electrophoresis, and iron replacement trials.
• Diagnosis of thalassemia minor was confirmed by persistent microcytosis after excluding iron deficiency.

Main Results:

• Twenty-six women (2.8%) had initial MCV < 80 fL.
• Three cases of unsuspected thalassemia minor (one alpha, two beta) were detected.
• Sixteen of 17 iron deficiency cases were identified before significant anemia developed.

Conclusions:

• A simple screening program effectively identifies pregnant women with unrecognized thalassemia minor.
• The program also detects iron deficiency before anemia becomes clinically significant.
• This screening approach improves early diagnosis and management in obstetric care.