ABSTRACT
To estimate the prevalence of thalassaemia genes in Baghdad, a study was made of 502 randomly selected pregnant women attending a major maternity care clinic in the city. A reduced mean corpuscular volume [MCV] of < 80 fl was used as a screening test for thalassaemia in this population, followed by a battery of tests, including haemoglobin analysis and iron studies, to confirm the diagnosis. Using this approach, 22 cases were diagnosed of beta-thalassaemia trait, five cases of alpha-thalassaemia trait and one case of delta beta-thalassaemia trait. Based on these figures the estimated prevalence rates of beta-, alpha- and delta beta-thalassaemia traits in Baghdad, would be 4.4%, 1.0% and 0.2%, respectively. The study also includes a discussion of the above findings in the context of those reported in other neighbouring countries