Contemplating Screening for Protein S Deficiency: To Screen or Not?

Protein S (PS) deficiency is a thrombophilia disorder due to the reduced activity of protein S which regulates coagulation function leading to venous thromboembolism (VTE) event. It is an autosomal dominant disorder whereby it can be heterozygous or homozygous. A positive family history of protein S deficiency is a significant risk factor for developing thromboembolism. We report a case of an infant born to a mother with suspected protein S deficiency. The dilemma is whether we should screen this infant for protein S deficiency. His baseline coagulation profile was normal according to age and had no thrombotic event throughout his neonatal period.