Sickle Cell Disease

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of the most common forms of are sickle cell anemia (SS disease) and sickle "C" disease. Sickle beta thalassemia is a less common form of . The effects of vary greatly from one person to the next. Some affected people rarely see their doctors for sickle cell-related complaints; others may be hospitalized frequently.
Infants and young children with sickle cell disease are especially vulnerable to severe bacterial infections, such as those that cause meningitis and pneumonia. Infections are the leading cause of death in children with sickle cell disease; however, early diagnosis and treatment can dramatically reduce the risk of infections and death that result from them.

In 1987, a National Institutes of Health panel recommended that all babies be screened at birth for sickle cell disease. All states now screen babies' blood for two or more inherited diseases, and the test for sickle cell disease is done using the same blood sample. To date, some 30 states are testing newborns for ...

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Pain crises may be very severe and need to be treated in the hospital, or they may be milder and can be treated at home. If the blockage is long-lasting, it can destroy areas of tissue. There is as yet no effective treatment to prevent or reverse the sickling that causes the crisis.

Some important facts about sickle cell disease are: 1. This disease is inherited and is not contagious. To inherit the disease, a child must receive two sickle cell genes -- one from each parent who "carries" a sickle cell gene.

2. We do not all have the same chance of inheriting sickle cell disease. Most cases of sickle cell disease occur among blacks, and Hispanics of Caribbean ancestry. About one in ...

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