“How common is sickle cell disease in children?”
I am pregnant with my first child. There is sickle cell disease in my family tree. How common is sickle cell disease in children?
5 Answers
Sickle cell disease is a genetic condition that is present at birth. It is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern meaning that the genes are in both parent as an autosomal recessive. The Sickle Cell Disease mutation is a mutation in both copies of a person’s HBB gene. This gene encodes for the component of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in the red blood cell. Both you and your spouse need to have the recessive gene and the chances of manifestation are one in four children. The prevalence of sickle cell disease in the United States is 9% among African American which is approximately 3 million people, and o.2% among Caucasians worldwide. It is estimated that 300 million people with sickle cell trait and one third of this number are in sub-Saharan Africa. Thank you.
“When one parent has sickle cell trait and the other parent has sickle cell trait or another hemoglobin trait (such as hemoglobin C or beta-thalassemia), there is a one-in-four chance that their baby will be born with sickle cell disease.”
Sickle cell anemia is a recessive gene. If you or your husband have the gene and neither of you are affected there is a 1 in 4 chance of having a child with sickle cell anemia and 2 in 4 of having a child with sickle cell trait. Or if neither of you have the gene your child will be born without it as well. Otherwise there is a 1 in 500 chance of having Sickle Cell in Blacks and 1 in 1000 in Latinos
Sickle cell disease is genetic and hence the same frequency in children as adults. The risk would depend on the genetic makeup of the two parents. If only one is affected, then the risk for a significant disease in a child is low although the chid may carry one of he genes for this disease which would only become manifest if mated with another of similar makeup.
If you have it in your family, there is a chance your child has it. The closer the genetic relationship with the child is, the higher the risk. I do not know the exact percentage. Your obstetrician can assist you with this.
RB Thomas,MD
RB Thomas,MD
