Last Updated on January 17, 2025 by Analgesia team
HBF Medical Abbreviation
HbF is the medical abbreviation for fetal hemoglobin, which is the primary type of hemoglobin in a fetus during pregnancy and early infancy:
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Production
Erythroid precursor cells produce HbF from 10 to 12 weeks of pregnancy until the first six months after birth.
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Levels
At birth, babies typically have half HbF and half adult hemoglobin (HbA). HbF levels usually drop to very low amounts about six months after birth.
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Blood disorders
In adults or children, higher levels of HbF can indicate a blood disorder, such as:
- Thalassemia
- Myeloid leukemia
- Sickle cell anemia
- Thalassemia
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Sickle cell anemia
HbF is a major genetic modulator of sickle cell disease. Some patients with sickle cell anemia have high levels of HbF, which can be associated with milder disease.
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Hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH)High HbF levels can be caused by β-globin gene deletions or point mutations in the promoters of the HbF genes. This phenotype is called HPFH