TY - JOUR
T1 - Alpha thalassemia screenign in neonates by mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin determination
AU - Schmaier, Alvin H.
AU - Maurer, Harold M.
AU - Johnston, Charles L.
AU - Scott, Robert B.
N1 - Funding Information:
From the Departments of Pediatrics, Pathology, and Medicine, Medical College of Virginia. Supported in part by a contract \[tom the Sickle Cell Anemia O~ce of the Health Services and Mental Health Administration. *Reprint address: Department o\] Pediatrics, Medical College ol Virginia Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va. 23298. ;;2meti~:e~gta~i\[oaaIR~se~tuhteCa~e~leD~elopment Award
PY - 1973/11
Y1 - 1973/11
N2 - Although alpha thalassemia trait may be diagnosed in the neonate by the presence of hemoglobin Barts, no simple screeing test for this disorder is available. This study was performed to determine whether the mean corpucular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) could serve this purpose. Capillary blood samples from 200 full-term black infants, 1 to 3 days of age, were drawn for electronic determination of red cell indices and hemoglobin electrophorssis on cellulose aetate. Of the 200 infants, 9 had MCV's of ≤94 μ3 and MCH's of ≤29.5 μμg, and of these, 6 (67 per cent) had hemoglobin Barts. No infant with hemoglobin Barts had an index in the normal range. We conclude that alpha thalassemia may be easily detected through MSCV and MCH screening of newborn populations at risk. An MCV ≤94 μ3 and an MCH <-29.5 μμg in the neonate is abnormal and should be followed by hemoglobin electrophoresis.
AB - Although alpha thalassemia trait may be diagnosed in the neonate by the presence of hemoglobin Barts, no simple screeing test for this disorder is available. This study was performed to determine whether the mean corpucular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) could serve this purpose. Capillary blood samples from 200 full-term black infants, 1 to 3 days of age, were drawn for electronic determination of red cell indices and hemoglobin electrophorssis on cellulose aetate. Of the 200 infants, 9 had MCV's of ≤94 μ3 and MCH's of ≤29.5 μμg, and of these, 6 (67 per cent) had hemoglobin Barts. No infant with hemoglobin Barts had an index in the normal range. We conclude that alpha thalassemia may be easily detected through MSCV and MCH screening of newborn populations at risk. An MCV ≤94 μ3 and an MCH <-29.5 μμg in the neonate is abnormal and should be followed by hemoglobin electrophoresis.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0015848891&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0015848891&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0022-3476(73)80371-3
DO - 10.1016/S0022-3476(73)80371-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 4742572
AN - SCOPUS:0015848891
SN - 0022-3476
VL - 83
SP - 794
EP - 797
JO - Journal of Pediatrics
JF - Journal of Pediatrics
IS - 5
ER -