A simple method for measuring fetal hemoglobin by co-oximetry

A simple, rapid method is presented for assessing the fetal hemoglobin frac tion (%HbF). The principle of the measurement is straightforward. If two co -oximeters differ in the extent to which fetal hemoglobin interferes with t heir measurements of a particular analyte and if no other source of interfe rence is present, then the magnitude of the difference in the HbF-induced i nterference between the two instruments can provide a quantitative measure of the fetal hemoglobin fraction. The present method does not require measu ring optical absorbances at specific wavelengths or solving multiple simult aneous equations. On the contrary, the present method requires only one mea surement on each instrument and a single simple calculation that yields a u seful estimation of %HbF. Finally, it should be noted that this method can also be used for quantifying the concentrations of other compounds if two c o-oximeters are available that differ appreciably in the extent to which th e compound of interest interferes with their measurements of a particular a nalyte, (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.