Alternative methods for screening

Alternative methods are already available for screening newborns for hemoglobinopathies. When choosing among the methods, one should remember three aims: (1) to identify Hb S; (2) to detect when Hb A is absent, suggestive of an S/S homozygote or a double heterozygote for S/β⁰-thalassemia or for S/C or S/another β-globin variant; and (3) to screen for other potentially pathologic states. (Double heterozygosity for S/β⁺-thalassemia is also important to detect, for example). Detection of β-thalassemia major by newborn screening would be useful but is not yet reliable.