Validation of early predictors of outcome in the Dallas Newborn Cohort

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a phenotypically variable disorder of hemoglobin that leads to abnormally shaped and dysfunctional red blood cells. Several studies have attempted to construct early predictive models for SCD, including Miller et al.’s (2000) model which uses easily identifiable predictors in early life. The primary aim of this project is to validate the model of Miller et al. in the Dallas Newborn Cohort, the world’s largest newborn inception cohort of sickle cell disease. Specifically, we tested the predictive utility of three clinical findings in the first years of life: painful swelling of the hands and feet (dactylitis), severe anemia (Hgb