Which hemoglobin patterns are associated with sickling disorders on the newborn screen?

The hemoglobin patterns associated with sickling disorders, specifically sickle cell disease, are the SS and FS patterns.

The SS pattern indicates the presence of hemoglobin S (HbS) homozygously, which is the typical form of sickle cell disease. A newborn with this pattern inherited the sickle gene from both parents, leading to a higher likelihood of experiencing the complications associated with sickle cell disease.

The FS pattern denotes a combination of hemoglobin F (HbF) and hemoglobin S (HbS). While individuals with this pattern may not experience sickle cell disease symptoms to the same extent as those with the SS pattern, they still have sickle cell trait and can exhibit some sickling behavior.

The presence of any hemoglobin S in a newborn screen, whether in the context of being homozygous (SS) or heterozygous with fetal hemoglobin (FS), indicates the potential for sickling disorders. Therefore, the correct response which encompasses both the SS and FS patterns is indeed a combination of these two, justifying the selection of the combined answer.

The other patterns, such as FSC, do not directly correlate with sickling disorders, as they either indicate other hemoglobin present or a different genetic condition