|
Abstract:
Pregnant women and at-risk couples are key critical subjects in the crusade for the control of SCD. Thus there is need to examine their knowledge and perception about genetic counseling (GC), prenatal diagnosis (PND), pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and bone marrow transplant (BMT) as control measures for SCD in Nigeria. 100 respondents were selected by convenience sampling from University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Ilesha in Nigeria. 53% of respondents had adequate information on GC as a control measure for SCD while 80%, 87% and 91% of respondents did not have adequate knowledge on PND, PGD and BMT respectively. Majority (83%) of respondents would consider GC as a widely accepted control measure for SCD, 61% would go through with PND even when it involves termination of an ongoing sickle cell pregnancy. 56% would opt for PGD to select non-sickle-cell embryos for uterine transfer while 45% would choose to do BMT if it were available in Nigeria. Control measures for sickle cell disorder among pregnant women in Nigeria - with respect to knowledge and perception was hierarchically scaled as GC > PND > PGD > BMT.
|
