Sickle-cell Anemia
Children today
Sickle-cell Anemia -
Cuases of the condition
Can it be prevented?
Avoid situations that may set off a crisis. Extreme heat or cold, as well as abrupt changes in temperature, are often triggers. When swimming, ease into the pool rather than jumping right in.
Avoid overexertion and dehydration. Take time out to rest and drink plenty of fluids.
Take your medicines as your doctor prescribes. Get any medical and lab tests or immunizations that your doctor orders.
symptons and Effects
Some children with SCD will start to have problems early on, and some later. Early symptoms of SCD may include:
- Painful swelling of the hands and feet, known as dactylitis
- Fatigue or fussiness from anemia
- A yellowish color of the skin, known as jaundice, or whites of the eyes, that occurs when a large number of red cells hemolyze
How can it be detected?
People who do not know whether they make sickle hemoglobin (hemoglobin S) or another abnormal hemoglobin (such as C, β thalassemia, E) can find out by having their blood tested. This way, they can learn whether they carry a gene (i.e., have the trait) for an abnormal hemoglobin that they could pass on to a child.
In newborn screening programs, blood from a heel prick is collected in “spots” on a special paper. The hemoglobin from this blood is then analyzed in special labs.
Newborn screening results are sent to the doctor who ordered the test and to the child’s primary doctor.