Demographic and clinical characteristics according to haemoglobin phenotype
| Variable | Haemoglobin phenotype | χ2 (P value) | |||
| HbAA | HbAS | HbSS | |||
| N=18 | N=25 | N=10 | |||
| Number (%) | Number (%) | Number (%) | |||
| Age (years) | < 5 | 5 (29) | 9 (36) | 4 (40) | 3.6 (0.5) |
| 5–9 | 8 (44) | 5 (20) | 2 (20) | ||
| 10–16 | 5 (28) | 11 (44) | 4 (40) | ||
| Sex | Female | 12 (67) | 11 (44) | 4 (40) | 2.7 (0.3) |
| Socioeconomic status | Low | 6 (33) | 10 (40) | 3 (30) | 0.39 (0.8) |
| Length/height-for-age z score | ≥−2 | 15 (83) | 23 (92) | 9 (90) | 1.4 (0.8) |
| >-3 to <-2 | 2 (11) | 1 (4.0) | 1 (10) | ||
| <= −3 | 1 (5.6) | 1 (4.0) | 0 (0) | ||
| Weight-for-length/height z score* (<5 years) N=18 | ≥−2 | 5 (100) | 6 (67) | 2 (50) | 6.5 (0.2) |
| >-3 to <-2 | 0 (0) | 1 (11) | 2 (50) | ||
| <= −3 | 0 (0) | 2 (22) | 0 (0) | ||
| BMI for age (>5 years) N=35 | Underweight | 2 (11) | 10 (40) | 2 (20) | 6.8 (0.03) |
| Healthy | 11 (61) | 6 (24) | 4 (40) | ||
| History | |||||
| Anaemia | 3 (16) | 3 (12) | 4 (40) | 3.8 (0.2) | |
| Bone pain | 2 (11) | 4 (16) | 5 (50) | 6.6 (0.04) | |
| Infections | 2 (11) | 4 (16) | 3 (30) | 1.7 (0.4) | |
| Impaired vision | 4 (22) | 1 (4.0) | 2 (20) | 3.5 (0.2) | |
| Blood transfusions | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 2 (20) | 8.9 (0.01) | |
| Persistent/recurrent jaundice | 1 (5.6) | 0 (0) | 3 (30) | 9.4 (0.009) | |
| Painful swelling of appendages | 1 (5.6) | 0 (0) | 4 (40) | 14 (<0.001) | |
| Clinical signs | |||||
| Compatible facies | 1 (5.6) | 1 (4.0) | 1 (10) | 0.48 (0.8) | |
| Current dactylitis | 1 (5.6) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 2.0 (0.4) | |
| Palmar pallor | 0 (0.0) | 2 (8.0) | 2 (20) | 3.7 (0.2) | |
| Hepatomegaly | 1 (5.6) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 2.0 (0.4) | |
*No child was overweight.
BMI, body mass index; Hb, haemoglobin.