Cord blood sickle-cell screening in Barbados - abstract

ABSTRACT

The incidence of the sickle-cell and other haematoglobinopathies in a population has been shown to be significantly related to its racial ethnic composition. Despite the extensive documentation of cases and their widespread geographic distribution, the number of prospective studies which documents the incidence of this disease from birth, is few within the Caribbean. The purpose of this cohort study was to document the incidence of haemoglobinopathies in Barbados from birth, and to follow the outcome of infants affected by sickle-cell anaemia over the first five years of life. The hypothesis for the study is that if there is an incidence of sickle-cell disease similar to that in Jamaica, or among blacks in the USA, affected patients die soon after birth or have mild haplotypes; alternately that there is a lower incidence, with or without "mild" haplotypes. One thousand successively collected cord bloods of newborn infants were screened for haemoglobinopathies by using the Paragon acid electrophoresis technique. Seventeen infants were recalled for repeat electrophoresis at one year of age and three mothers could not be located. Of the 997 specimens with conclusive results, a haemoglobinopathy trait was found in 71 (7 percent ). Nine hundred and twenty five patients (93 percent) had Hb AA, 41(4 percent) Hb AS, 27 (2.7 percent) Hb AC, one (0.1 percent) Hb CC, two (0.2 percent) Hb SS and one (0.1 percent) Hb SC. We conclude from then study so far that the incidence of the sickle-cell gene in the Barbadian population is low in comparison with that found in Jamaica. (AU)