Sickle Cell Anemia
Human Heredity Project By: Mariah White
What is Sickle Cell Anemia?
- Sickle Cell Anemia is also know as HbS disease or SCD.
- It is an heredity disorder that has a mutation on the gene that effects your body's production of hemoglobin.
- The recessive disorder is on chromosome 11.
- The name is because of the way the effected blood cell takes shape, it looks similar to a sickle.
How can this be diagnosed?
- If doctors suspect that there is a greater chance of a baby having Sickle cell they can do prenatal testing using amniocentesis.
- Some of the symptoms are infections, pain, and fatigue.
- This effects 70,000-100,000 Americans.
- It mostly effects people of African descent.
What happens to a child that has Sickle Cell Aniemia?
- It can last for several years or your lifetime.
- People effected with Sickle Cell Anemia have a higher chance of death earlier, like in their 50's, caused by organ failure with is a result of the Sickle Cell.
- Someone with Sickle Cell can have children, but there is a chance that they will be effects based on what type of Sickle Cell a person has and if the other parent would have the disease.
What research is being done to help cure Sickle Cell Anemia?
- The only cure for Sickle Cell is a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. Of course you would have to find a donor that is a close match to you, it may not work, and there are serious side-effects including death. Because if this it is only for people with severe sickle cell anemia and minimal organ damage.
- Some ways to manage Sickle Cell Disease are: taking folic acid supplements regulatory, blood transfusions, and pain medications.
- in 2010, scientists found that Sickle Cell Anemia and brain function may be related.