{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T11:16:11Z","timestamp":1792062971528,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":6,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"5","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J Clin Pathol"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1998,5]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>AIMS: To document current United Kingdom practice for antenatal screening for inherited disorders of globin chain synthesis and to compare such practice with guidelines published by the British Committee for Standards in Haematology and the Standing Committee on Sickle Cell, Thalassaemia and other Haemoglobinopathies (SMAC). METHODS: The members of the UK Forum on Haemoglobin Disorders were surveyed about their current practice for antenatal haemoglobinopathy screening. The UK Forum is a national group of haematologists, paediatricians, laboratory scientists, and counsellors working in the field of diagnosis and management of disorders of haemoglobin synthesis; such disorders including the alpha and beta thalassaemias, sickle cell disease, and other haemoglobinopathies. RESULTS: Completed questionnaires from 38 hospitals (or cooperating groups of hospitals) were analysed. The great majority of hospitals were applying appropriate laboratory methods, but problems were commonly encountered in ensuring that appropriate testing of antenatal patients and, when necessary, of their partners, was carried out early in pregnancy. When screening was selective there was quite often a failure to identify all women in whom testing was indicated, and cut off points used as an indication for further testing were sometimes inappropriate. CONCLUSIONS: Many practical problems are still encountered in following guidelines for the antenatal diagnosis of haemoglobinopathies. A need for improved administrative procedures and increased funding was identified. In addition there is a need for agreed guidelines giving more specific advice on technical aspects of laboratory practice.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/jcp.51.5.382","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2008,12,31]],"date-time":"2008-12-31T19:05:02Z","timestamp":1230750302000},"page":"382-389","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":16,"title":["A survey of current United Kingdom practice for antenatal screening for inherited disorders of globin chain synthesis. UK Forum for Haemoglobin Disorders."],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"51","author":[{"given":"B J","family":"Bain","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"C","family":"Chapman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1998,5,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","article-title":"Report of a working party of the Standing Medical Advisory Committee on sickle cell, thalassaemia and other haemoglobinopathies","year":"1993","unstructured":"Report of a working party of the Standing Medical Advisory Committee on sickle cell, thalassaemia and other haemoglobinopathies. London: HMSO, 1993."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"289","DOI":"10.1136\/jcp.47.4.289","article-title":"The Thalassaemia Working Party of the BCSH General Haematology Task Force. Guidelines for the investigation of the and thalassaemia traits","volume":"47","year":"1994","unstructured":"The Thalassaemia Working Party of the BCSH General Haematology Task Force. Guidelines for the investigation of the and thalassaemia traits. J Clin Pathol 1994;47:289\u201395.","journal-title":"J Clin Pathol"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"305","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2257.1984.tb00557.x","article-title":"Choice of anticoagulant for mean cell volume determination","volume":"6","author":"Lines, R.W.; Grace, E.","year":"1984","unstructured":"Lines RW, Grace E. Choice of anticoagulant for mean cell volume determination. Clin Lab Haematol 1984;6:305\u20136.","journal-title":"Clin Lab Haematol"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1054","DOI":"10.1136\/jcp.48.11.1054","article-title":"Screening criteria for thalassaemia trait in pregnant women","volume":"48","author":"Rogers, M.; Phelan, L.; Bain, B.J.","year":"1995","unstructured":"Rogers M, Phelan L, Bain BJ. Screening criteria for thalassaemia trait in pregnant women. J Clin Pathol 1995;48:1054\u20136.","journal-title":"J Clin Pathol"},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"985","article-title":"Alpha thalassaemia hydrops fetalis in the UK: the importance of screening pregnant women of Chinese, other South East Asian and Mediterranean extraction for alpha thalassaemia trait","volume":"99","author":"Petrou, M.; Brugiatelli, M.; Old, J.","year":"1992","unstructured":"Petrou M, Brugiatelli M, Old J, et al. Alpha thalassaemia hydrops fetalis in the UK: the importance of screening pregnant women of Chinese, other South East Asian and Mediterranean extraction for alpha thalassaemia trait. Fetal Neonatal Med 1992;99:985\u20139.","journal-title":"Fetal Neonatal Med"},{"key":"ref_6","article-title":"General Haematology Task Force of the British Committee for Standards in Haematology. The laboratory diagnosis of haemoglobinopathies","unstructured":"General Haematology Task Force of the British Committee for Standards in Haematology. The laboratory diagnosis of haemoglobinopathies (in press)."}],"container-title":["Journal of Clinical Pathology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/jcp.51.5.382","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,14]],"date-time":"2025-12-14T11:14:51Z","timestamp":1765710891000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/jcp.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/jcp.51.5.382"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[1998,5]]},"references-count":6,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1998,5,1]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1998,5]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/jcp.51.5.382"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/jcp.51.5.382","relation":{},"ISSN":["0021-9746","1472-4146"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0021-9746","type":"print"},{"value":"1472-4146","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[1998,5]]}}}