What is hemoglobin? What is hemoglobin? Where does your hemoglobin come from? What is hemoglobinopathy? What is sickle cell trait? How will I know if I have sickle cell trait? Where can I be tested for sickle cell trait? What is sickle cell disease? Sickle cell anemia (Hb SS) is the most common type of sickle cell disease. There are other hemoglobin types such as hemoglobin C or hemoglobin E, that in combination with the gene for sickle hemoglobin can result in different forms of sickle cell disease (Hb SC, Hb SE, Hb S/beta thalassemia). What are "sickle cell conditions"? How do you get sickle cell anemia or trait? How common is sickle cell anemia? How is sickle cell anemia detected? How is the testing done? What are the chances of having a baby with sickle cell trait?
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What are the chances of having a baby with sickle cell disease?
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What medical problems are caused by sickle cell disease? What should future parents know? How can I be tested? What services are available in Missouri for persons with sickle cell conditions?
Where can I get more information about services available in Missouri? What does DHSS offer for adult sickle cell patients 21 years of age and older? Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disorder where the body produces an abnormal hemoglobin called hemoglobin S. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Red blood cells are normally flexible and round, but when the hemoglobin is defective, blood cells take on a “sickle” or crescent shape. This causes the red blood cells to get stuck inside blood vessels and block blood flow and oxygen transport to some parts of the body, thereby causing sickle cell anemia. Mutations leading to sickle cell anemiaHemoglobin is made up of four different protein subunits, which includes two subunits called alpha-globin and two called beta-globin. Sickle cell anemia is caused by mutations in a gene called HBB, which is the gene that provides instructions for the production of beta-globin. There are multiple mutations that can occur in the HBB gene. One of these leads to the production of hemoglobin S. Inheritance of sickle cell anemiaSickle cell anemia is an autosomal recessive disease, meaning that it only occurs if both the maternal and paternal copies of the HBB gene are defective. In other words, if an individual receives just one copy of the defective HBB gene, either from their mother or their father, they do not have sickle cell anemia but have what is called “sickle cell trait”. People with sickle cell trait usually do not have any symptoms or problems but they can pass the mutated gene onto their children. There are three inheritance scenarios that can lead to a child having sickle cell anemia: If both parents have sickle cell trait, then there is a 25 percent risk of the child having sickle cell anemia and a 50 percent risk of them having sickle cell trait. There is also a 25 percent chance that the child will not inherit either copy of the mutated gene. If one parent has sickle cell anemia and the other has sickle cell trait, there is a 50 percent risk that their children will have sickle cell anemia and 50 percent risk they will have sickle cell trait. If both parents have sickle cell anemia, then their children will also definitely have the disease. *** Sickle Cell Anemia News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. |