Ethnicity study and non-selective screening for haemoglobinopathies in the antenatal population of central Manchester

Area of Science:

• Medical Genetics
• Public Health
• Obstetrics

Background:

• Haemoglobinopathies are inherited blood disorders.
• Accurate ethnic data is crucial for targeted antenatal screening services.
• Manchester has a diverse population requiring tailored healthcare approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the ethnic distribution of the antenatal population in central Manchester.
• To assess the effectiveness of current haemoglobinopathy screening in reaching at-risk groups.
• To inform service provision for antenatal haemoglobinopathy screening.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of ethnic data from 6718 antenatal patients over 7 months.
• Screening of 1144 patients for haemoglobinopathies over 1 month.
• Calculation of carrier frequencies across different ethnic groups.

Main Results:

• The antenatal population comprised 62.3% White, 13.2% Asian, 7.9% Black, and 3.8% other ethnic groups.
• Overall haemoglobinopathy incidence was 2.62% in the screened subset.
• Highest carrier frequencies were observed in the Black (18.2%) and 'no information' (5.6%) groups.

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion of the antenatal population belongs to ethnic minority groups.
• The high incidence of haemoglobinopathies in certain ethnic groups and the 'no information' category supports universal screening.
• Non-selective screening is recommended for all pregnant individuals in central Manchester to ensure equitable care.