Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder of the red blood cells. For a child to have sickle cell disease both parents must carry the sickle cell trait. (or another variant hemoglobin (like C trait, thalassemia trait, etc)
It is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States and most commonly impacts individuals of African and Mediterranean descent.
In the United States, sickle cell disease affects:
There are multiple types of sickle cell disease; they differ in severity and complications. The four most common are:
Sickle cell is a disorder of red blood cells. The red blood cells’ main job is to carry oxygen to all parts of the human body. If you have sickle cell, your red blood cells become hard and sticky and look like a C-shaped farm tool called a “sickle.”
The sickle cells die early, which causes a shortage of red blood cells. Since every bit of us needs oxygen to function well, sickle cell can impact any part of the body.
Common symptoms include:
Our sickle cell program partners with specialists across CHoR to make sure our patients have comprehensive care to treat the disease and all of its impacts on the body.
Sickle cell is a genetic condition that is inherited when a child receives two sickle cell genes.
People who make hemoglobin S in their red blood cells have inherited the sickle cell gene from one or both parents. Children who inherit the sickle cell gene from both parents will have sickle cell disease (SS).
The sickle cell gene tells the body to make abnormal hemoglobin.
Children who inherit the sickle cell (S) gene from only one parent and the normal genes for hemoglobin A from the other parent, will have the sickle cell trait (AS) but not the disease. They generally have no symptoms of the disease and lead normal lives but can pass the gene on to their children.
When two people with the sickle cell trait have a baby, they can have a child with normal hemoglobins (AA), sickle cell trait (AS) or the SS type of sickle cell disease.
Virginia’s standard newborn screening tests all newborns for sickle cell disease.
Virginia has a network of comprehensive sickle cell centers, with a goal to have every newborn who is diagnosed establish care within the network by 2 months of age.
There are several tests that help determine what type of hemoglobin is made by a person's red blood cells. These include:
Our sickle cell program follows patients from birth until high school graduation. We work closely with patients and families to ensure a smooth transition to VCU Health’s adult sickle cell program, the only comprehensive program of its kind in Virginia.
