Cord blood screening for haemoglobinopathies in northern Nigeria.

Seven hundred cord blood samples were screened for the presence of abnormal haemoglobins by haemoglobin electrophoresis using the cellulose acetate paper electrophoresis technique at pH 8.6. The commonest abnormal haemoglobin was haemoglobin S (HbS), which was detected in 158 (22.57%) samples of which 20 (2.85%) were homozygous. HbC was present in 16 (2.28%) samples 42 (6%) had a fast-moving haemoglobin (HbBarts), and an additional five had only foetal haemoglobin (HbF). The tribal and ethnic distribution of these abnormal haemoglobins was in line with that described earlier by other workers. Attempts to follow up the babies with homozygous HbS, HbC and HbF were not successful.