A 2-day old female newborn recently underwent routine newborn screenings that are required for any infant born in the United States. You receive the results and notice that her screening test for Hemoglobin S was positive. By what age must the newborn be confirmed for having sickle cell disease or a significant hemoglobinopathy?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Any screening test that is positive for HbS or other significant hemoglobinopathies in a newborn must be confirmed by 6 weeks of age. The presence of large quantities of HbS using hemoglobin electrophoresis is considered diagnostic for sickle cell disease. Similarly, electrophoresis is used to confirm sickle cell trait by identifying the presence of HbS, albeit in lower quantities than are present in sickle cell disease.

A 2-Day Old Female Newborn Recently Underwent Routine Newborn Screenings