Midwives' and senior student midwives' knowledge of haemaglobinopathies in England.

OBJECTIVE

to examine midwives' and senior student midwives' knowledge concerning sickle-cell anaemia and beta-thalassaemia.

DESIGN

survey using the 'Dyson' questionnaires.

SETTING

study days on 26 sites across England over three months.

PARTICIPANTS

850 questionnaires were completed by a convenience sample of midwives and senior students: 401 on sickle-cell anaemia and 449 on beta-thalassaemia. In each case just under two-thirds were qualified midwives.

MEASUREMENTS AND FINDINGS

most respondents underestimated the number of ethnic groups affected by these disorders. A majority gave the wrong answers to basic questions on the inheritance of these disorder, fewer than one-third answered two simple genetics questions correctly.

KEY CONCLUSIONS

in order to provide an equitable service midwives need more education in this area, particularly after qualification. IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION PRACTICE: education on haemoglobinopathies was linked with improved knowledge levels and appears most effective when undertaken by counsellors in haemoglobinopathies. Such education should therefore be available, especially to qualified midwives who had not previously received it.