NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Findings from a new study suggest that beta-thalassemia minor has little effect on pregnancy outcomes. However, because of an increased risk of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), ultrasound surveillance of fetal weight is recommended to detect this condition early.
Few studies have addressed the effect of beta-thalassemia minor on pregnancy outcomes and the ones that have been limited by small patient numbers, according to the report published in the June issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
In the current study, Dr. Eyal Sheiner and colleagues, from Soroka University Medical Center in Be’er-Sheva, Israel, investigated this topic by assessing the outcomes of all deliveries that occurred at their center between 1988 and 2002. Of the 159,195 deliveries logged during the study period, 261 (0.02%) involved women with beta-thalassemia minor.
Beta-thalassemia minor was associated with Jewish ethnicity and with a previous cesarean delivery, the researchers state. Moreover, compared with other patients, those with the disease were 2.4- and 2.1-times more likely to have IUGR and oligohydramnios, respectively.
Despite these differences, perinatal outcomes, such as birth weight, APGAR scores, and mortality, were similar for women with or without the hemoglobinopathy. Although the disease initially seemed to be a predictor for c-section, this association fell away on multivariate analysis.
“The major finding of our population-based study is that thalassemia minor is not associated with adverse perinatal outcome,” Dr. Sheiner’s team notes. Although the link with higher IUGR rates requires confirmation, the authors recommend early third trimester ultrasound evaluation of fetal weight in women with the blood disorder.
Source: Obstet Gynecol 2004;103:1273-1277. [ Google search on this article ]
MeSH Headings:Behavioral Sciences: Data Collection: Demography: Behavioral Disciplines and Activities: Environment and Public Health: Epidemiologic Methods: Health: Health Occupations: Health Services Administration: Information Science: Medicine: Investigative Techniques: Population Characteristics: Pregnancy Outcome: Preventive Medicine: Public Health: Quality of Health Care: Social Sciences: Specialties, Medical: Vital Statistics: Epidemiologic Measurements: Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation: Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms: Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment: Anthropology, Education, Sociology and Social Phenomena: Biological Sciences: Health Care: Information Science: Psychiatry and PsychologyCopyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
