Haemoglobin Bart's hydrops foetalis in Thailand.

Abstract

SummaryHaemoglobin Bart's hydrops foetalis is prevalent in Thailand. A total of fifteen such cases were investigated. The parents were mostly Thais and Chinese. The gestation periods varied between 7 and 10 months. Thirteen were dead in utero and the other two died within 15 min. of delivery. Ten were female and five were male. All were anaemic and oedematous with enlarged and friable placentae, and had massive hepatomegaly. The average values of haematological findings are: haemoglobin concentration, 6.77 g. %; red‐cell count, 2.93 millions/mm.3; packed red‐cell volume, 40.5%; mean corpuscular volume, 140.6 micra3; mean corpuscular haemoglobin, 24.8μμg.; mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, 18%. Blood smears showed hypochromia, microcytosis, macrocytosis, target cells, anisocytosis, poikilocytosis, and numerous nucleated red cells. Intraerythrocytic inclusion bodies were found in a few red cells in most cases. Sickling was positive in five out of eight cases. In every case haemoglobin Bart's comprised almost all of the haemoglobin, only trace amounts of haemoglobins A+F being present. A small amount of haemoglobin H was detectable by starch gel in three cases. Average alkali‐resistant haemoglobin was 42.3%.