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Hemoglobin Level Assessment

Women's Health Testing

Hemoglobin Level Assessment

ACOG estimates that more than 270 million persons worldwide are heterozygous carriers of hereditary disorders of hemoglobin (Hb), and at least 300,000 affected homozygotes or compound heterozygotes are born every year.1 A complete blood count should be obtained to ensure that Hb is accurately identified for patients of non-African descent. For patients of African descent, it is recommended to perform Hb electrophoresis in addition to obtaining a complete blood count.

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ACOG Published Guidelines on Evaluation for Hematologic Assessment2

Evaluation for Hematologic Assessment chart

Specialized antepartum evaluation for hematologic assessment of patients of African, southeast Asian, or Mediterranean descent. Patients of southeast Asian or Mediterranean descent should undergo electrophoresis if their blood test results reveal anemia. (Hb = hemoglobin.)

ACOG guidelines2 recommend testing women who are:

  • Caribbean
  • Latin American
  • Asian
  • Mediterranean
  • African Ancestry
  • Or have a history of excessive menstrual flow

Labcorp offers a wide range of hemoglobin testing options.

Reference

  1. American Family Physician. ACOG publishes guides on hemoglobinopathies in pregnancy. Am Fam Physician. 2007 Oct 15;76(8):1229-1230
  2. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Annual Women’s Health Care/Well Woman Recommendations. https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/Annual-Womens-Health-Ca...