Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia
This screening involves questions about your family origins and those of the father of the baby and a simple blood test. This blood test is best performed before you are 10 weeks pregnant. Sickle cell disorder and thalassaemia are inherited blood conditions and can have very serious health implications. They mainly affect people who originate from Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia and the Mediterranean, but are also found in the northern European population. More information about the conditions can be found at the Sickle Cell Society and the UK Thalassaemia Society.
Deciding to have sickle cell and thalassaemia screening
If the blood test shows that you are a carrier of one of the conditions, the father of the baby will be invited for a blood test. If he is also a carrier there is a one in four chance that your baby is affected, so you will be offered a diagnostic test to find this out.
Finding out if you are a carrier in early pregnancy will enable you to get specialized information about the condition from a counsellor. The majority of carriers are healthy but occasionally there can be some associated problems and knowing your status can help you manage these. If you are a carrier, it is possible other members of your family may also be carriers and may want to consider having a test. For these reasons your health care professionals may recommend that you have the screening, but it remains your choice to do so.
Understanding your result
It is most likely that your result will reassure you that you are not a carrier. If it does show you carry a disorder, you will be offered an appointment with a health professional to discuss what this might mean for you and your baby.