Is complete blood count sufficient to rule out hemoglobinopathy carrier state in females visiting antenatal care clinic: A study at one center

Objectives Anemia due to hemoglobinopathies is one of the most common inherited disorders in the world, which is caused by the dysfunction of hemoglobin (Hb) molecules and can cause severe morbidity and mortality. It is necessary to screen all pregnant women for carrier state during routine antenatal care (ANC) check-up. Material and Methods This prospective observational study conducted over a period of 6 months, from February to August 2024, on pregnant women visiting our ANC clinic. Forty females were diagnosed abnormal hemoglobins on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) during the study period were included. Results Twenty five (62%) women had the beta-thalassemia trait, whereas the remaining 18%, 7.5%, 7.5%, and 5% were heterozygous for HbE, HbS, delta-beta-thalassemia, or hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin, and HbD Punjab. Most of these females (57.5%), in their carrier state, had normal complete blood count (CBC) and peripheral smear (PS) findings. Conclusion This study contributes to our understanding of the prevalence of several heterozygous hemoglobinopathies in females of reproductive age, many of them showed normal CBC and PS findings. This, in turn, helps us to find out prevalence of as carrier state in ANC centers by routine HPLC testing done on women all irrespective of CBC and PS findings. After diagnosing carrier state, further workup to prevent hemoglobinopathies in the next generation was planned.