Burden of sickle cell disease among pregnant women in central India

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a major public health concern in central India. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of haemoglobinopathies, haematological variations, family screening status, prenatal diagnosis and pregnancy outcomes among pregnant women. A total of 11,602 pregnant women were screened between 2017 and 2022. Among the screened, the prevalence of sickle cell homozygous (SS) and sickle β-thalassemia (Sβ-thal.) was 0.25% and 0.38%, respectively. The haematological parameters differed significantly (P < 0.05) between the phenotypic groups. In a retrospective analysis, we found that only 61.1% (n=204) of spouses and 42.5% (n=226) of children were screened for SCD. Pregnant women with SCD had longer hospital stays, a lower birth weight, a higher incidence of preterm birth, an increased likelihood of caesarean delivery, and a higher rate of blood transfusions. Our study highlights the importance of early screening for pregnant women for SCD.