What is Sickle Cell Disease

SCD is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. Healthy red blood cells are round, and they move through small blood vessels to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. In someone who has SCD, the red blood cells become hard and sticky and look like a C-shaped form tool called a “sickle”. The sickle cells die early, which causes a constant shortage of red blood cells. Also, when they travel through small blood vessels, they get stuck and clog the blood flow. This can cause pain and other serious problems such infection, acute chest syndrome and stroke.

WHAT CAUSES SICKLE CELL:

SCD is a genetic condition that is present at birth. It is inherited when a child receives twosickle cell genes—one from each parent.

DIAGNOSIS:

SCD is diagnosed with a simple blood test. It most often is found at birth during routine newborn screening tests at the hospital. In addition, SCD can be diagnosed before birth because children with SCD are at an increased risk of infection and other health problems, early diagnosis and treatment are important.