Question 1

how do 2 people without sickle-cell anemia to have a child with sickle-cell disease?

Accepted Answer

Yes: The defect of sickle cell anemia occurs when 2 sickle cell genes are passed to a newborn. Since each parent passes half their genes at conception & it takes 2 sickle genes to cause disease, one gene comes from each parent. Many parents carry this gene quietly, unknown to them because it doesn't make a single gene carrier sick.

Question 2

what is sickle cell disease?

Accepted Answer

Abnormal blood cells: Sickle cell disease occurs when there is an abnormal type of hemoglobin in blood cells. Thought to be a survivor advantage against malaria, when these cells have too little oxygen they collapse and get stuck in small vessels. This cuts off the blood supply to organs and causes severe pain. Sickle cell traits is when only half the genes code for the abnormal hemoglobin, usually not symptomatic.

Question 3

what are the causes of sickle cell disease?

Accepted Answer

Inheritance: The sickle cell gene is a mutation in the way the hemoglobin molecule is formed.It takes a pair of sickle genes to cause the change.A single normal gene can cancel the abnormal gene effect. Parents with a single sickle cell gene will be asymptomatic. When a baby gets a sickle gene from both parents, the abnormal genes are expressed as SS disease.

Question 4

is sickle cell disease dominant or recesive?

Accepted Answer

Dominant genetically: Sickle cell disease is inherited as an autosomal recessive condition, which is what you will read from online sources and textbooks. One must inherit the gene from both parents to have the disease.  This assumes that inheriting one copy of the gene (trait patient) has no phenotype (medical problems). This is not exactly  true, as athletes have died from trait under extreme conditions.

Question 5

how likely am i to have sickle cell disease?

Accepted Answer

Impossible to say: Without knowing anything about you, i can't say how likely.  Any symptoms previously or family history? If not, much less likely. Ancestors from africa or around the mediterranean? If not, much less likely. Were you born in a state after they had required screening for sickle cell? If yes and your parents were notified that your screen was normal then you don't. I can't help much more than that.

Question 6

how does sickle cell disease affect a person?

Accepted Answer

Many ways. : Basically, sickle cell disease causes disturbance of the blood vessels, typically smaller vessels. Over time, this can cause many problems.  Painful episodes, eye problems, lung problems (similar to pneumonia), strokes, decreased spleen function (which can cause severe infections), kidney problems, and other problems.  Sickle cell disease is not the same in all people.  Some have milder symptoms.

Question 7

how do you get tested for sickle cell disease?

Accepted Answer

Blood & hemoglobin: The first test is to do a blood test and/or smear to look for sickle-cell shaped red-blood cells.  This is a tell-tale sign of sickle cell disease.  The second is to do a test called a hemoglobin electrophoresis on the blood to test for any of the hemoglobin molecules such as a, c, s, f.  Hemoglobin c and especially s are involved in sickle-cell.

Question 8

how is sickle cell disease being treated today?

Accepted Answer

Supportive care: The only thing that may potentially cure scikle cell disease is a bone marrow transplantation- if procedure can be done safely. Otherwise, scikle cell disease is treated with supportive care- i.e. Good hydration, folic acid, medication like hydroxy urea, prevention from crisis, blood trasnfusion if needed, iron chelating agent etc.

Question 9

can men with sickle cell disease have children?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Yes, it's possible, though many men with sickle cell have problems with infertility.

Question 10

can you pass on a sickle cell disease to your child?

Accepted Answer

Depends on partner: Sickle cell disease requires that the s gene be passed to a baby during conception from both parents. In theory, someone with sickle cell disease could only pass one gene, so if the partner had normal hemaglobin genes, the baby would have trait, not ss. If the partner had trait, both trait or ss is possible. If both parents have sickle cell ss disease, all their babies would have sickle cell.

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Doctor answers about:

Sickle cell disease

A member asked:

How do 2 people without sickle-cell anemia to have a child with sickle-cell disease?

A member asked:

What is sickle cell disease?

A member asked:

What are the causes of sickle cell disease?

A member asked:

Is sickle cell disease dominant or recesive?

A member asked:

How likely am i to have sickle cell disease?

A member asked:

How does sickle cell disease affect a person?

A member asked:

How do you get tested for sickle cell disease?

A member asked:

How is sickle cell disease being treated today?

A member asked:

Can men with sickle cell disease have children?

A member asked:

Can you pass on a sickle cell disease to your child?

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