Abstract
PURPOSE: The objective was to observe the characteristics among pregnant patients with a diagnosed hemoglobinopathy and to study the obstetric and medical morbidity patterns during the antenatal and the perinatal periods in this group of patients. METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary care center. RESULTS: Sixty patients were studied in 11 months. Primigravidae (43.3%) formed the highest percentage of patients. β Thalassemia trait was the most common hemoglobinopathy, seen in 81.66% of study subjects. The hemoglobin value ranged from 5.7 to 13.0, with an average of 9.2 g/dl. Thyroid problems were the most common associated medical disorder. Though IUGR and placenta previa were common, there were no major obstetric problems. There were 57 live births and 1 fresh stillbirth. Two patients had spontaneous abortion for which uterine curettage was done. LSCS was the most common obstetric outcome. Patients with sickle-cell disease required more blood transfusion than those with beta-thalassemia trait. There were 2 maternal mortalities, and both the patients were the diagnosed cases of sickle-cell disease. CONCLUSIONS: While the perinatal outcomes among women with sickle-cell disease are poor, the outcomes in pregnant patients with beta-thalassemia trait were not a cause of major concern.