Premium
PREGNANCY IN ABNORMAL HAEMOGLOBINS CC, S‐THALASSAEMIA, SF, CF, DOUBLE HETEROZYGOTES
Author(s) -
Hendrickse J. P. De V.,
Harrison K. A.,
WatsonWilliams E. J.,
Luzzatto L.,
Ajabor L. N.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1972.tb14178.x
Subject(s) - pregnancy , medicine , nigerians , fetus , iron deficiency , malaria , heterozygote advantage , thalassemia , fetal hemoglobin , hemoglobinopathy , obstetrics , pediatrics , gastroenterology , hemolytic anemia , anemia , immunology , genotype , biology , biochemistry , gene , law , genetics , political science
Summary In 12 years, 90 pregnancies were studied in 51 Nigerians with the following abnormal haemoglobin types: C homozygotes (39 patients), S‐β‐Thalassaemia (5 patients), high fetal haemoglobin combined with haemoglobin S (4 patients) double heterozygotes (2 patients) and high fetal haemoglobin combined with haemoglobin C (1 patient). There were no maternal deaths. Homozygous C haemoglobin is associated with anaemia and splenomegaly. High fetal haemoglobin combined with S, or C, and also double heterozygotes are apparently innocuous in pregnancy. Therefore, no specific treatment is required in these haemoglobin types, apart from the prevention of anaemia by folic acid supplements in all cases, with the addition of oral iron and antimalarial drugs in areas where iron deficiency anaemia is common and malaria is holoendemic. By contrast patients with haemoglobin S‐β‐Thalassaemia require close supervision throughout pregnancy since this haemoglobinopathy is associated with anaemia, bone pain crises and an increased risk of postpartum haemorrhage. However, it is less morbid in comparison with haemoglobin SS and SC.