Abstract

KIE: Sickle cell anemia and other hemoglobinopathies represent a major health problem in the United States. In April 1987 several federal agencies sponsored a National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference to discuss the issues involved in diagnosing and treating some of the major hemoglobinopathies in infants. This report summarizes the consensus panel's answers to the following questions considered by the conference participants: 1) are newborn screening programs for sickle cell anemia effective in reducing morbidity and mortality?, 2) what are the current screening techniques and their efficacies?, 3) what are the risk/benefit considerations in newborn screening programs?, 4) once infants with hemoglobinopathies have been identified, what are the optimal follow-up and management strategies?, and 5) what directions should research follow?