BIBLIOGRAPHY: http://www.sicklecelldisease.org/about_scd/affected1.phtml (Sickle Cell Disease Organization, Jan-19-2011)

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sickle-cell-anemia/DS00324/DSECTION=risk-factors (Mayo Clinic, Jan-19-2011)

http://www.ascaa.org/Is_It_Possible_To_Detect_Sickle_Cell_Anemia_In_An_Unborn_Baby.asp

(American Sickle Cell Anemia Association, Jan-19-2011)

IS IT POSSIBLE TO DETECT THE DESEASE IN AN UNBORN BABY?

In the fistr trimester of pregnancy is possible taking a sanple of the amniotic fluid or tissue taken from the placenta, doctors can tell whether a fetus has sickle cell anemia or sickle cell trait.

WHAT SHOULD FUTURE PARENTS KNOW?

This new generation of parents should know that if they are carriers of the sickle cell gene, and, they must attend to genetic counseling. The counselor can tell prospective parents what the chances are that their child will have sickle cell trait or sickle cell anemia. So they will know what for be prepare.

SIGNS: The most common sign of anemia is fatigue (feeling tired or weak). Other signs and symptoms of anemia may include:

• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Coldness in the hands and feet
• Paler than normal skin or mucous membranes (the tissue that lines your nose, mouth, and other organs and body cavities)

It can be also detected taking a blood test for sickle cell disease on all newborn infants. This test is performed at the same time and from the same blood samples a. Hemoglobin electrophoresis . If the test shows the presence of sickle hemoglobin, a second blood test is performed to confirm the diagnosis. These tests also tell whether the child carries the sickle cell trait.

COPING: The patient can be helpe by coping with the pain in the way that your doctor may prescribe strong pain medicines. If so, talk with him or her about how to safely use these medicines. Other ways to manage pain include using a heating pad, taking a hot bath, resting, or getting a massage. Physical therapy might help ease your pain by helping you relax and strengthening your muscles and joints. Counseling or self-hypnosis also may help. You may find that activities that keep your mind off the pain, such as watching TV and talking on the phone, are helpful.

For the families there are Sickle cell centers and clinics can provide information and counseling. Ask your doctor or the staff at a sickle cell center if there are support groups for families in your area. Talking with others who are facing the same challenges you are can be helpful.

SICKLE CELL ANIMIA- TREATED OR CURE?

WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THIS DESEASE?

Treatment: For a new born with this desease the treatment stars the process with doses of penicillin prophylaxis, vaccination against pneumococcus bacteria and folic acid supplementation. Patiens with this desease, are oftenly send to a comprehensive multi-disciplinary program of care. Which includes antibiotics, pain management, intravenous fluids, blood transfusion and surgery all backed by psychosocial support.

Blood transfusions are usefull for the disease patients taking in to account that it reduce the pain crises, risk of stroke and other complications. Are also designed for helping in the reducing of accumulation and high iron levels.

There is not fullproof any cure for Sickle Cell Animia, insted there are some treatments and medicines

that support the overcoming of the disease, like:

• Hydroxyurea (Hydrea) is a drug that can preventred blood cells from sickling without causing harmto other parts of the body, some patients use to reduce the number of pain episodes (including chest pain and difficulty breathing). It does not work for everyone.
• Dialysis or kifney transplant for kidney disease
• Drug rehabilitation and counseling for psychological complication.
• Gallbladder removal (if you have gallstone disease)
• Hip Replasment.
• Irrigation or surgery for persistent, painful erections (priapism)
• Surgery for eye problems
• Wound care, zinc oxide, or surgery for leg ulcers

MEDICAL PROBLEMS AND SYMPTOMS:

Sickle cells are destroyed rapidly in the body causing anemia, jaundice and the formation of gallstones. The sickle cells also block the flow of blood through vessels resulting in:

Lung tissue damage (acute chest syndrome,Pneumonia)

Pain episodes (arms, legs, chest and abdomen)

Priapism (painful prolonged erection and unexpected).

Spleen- (increased risk for serious infections splenic sequestration, large amount of body's blood pooled in it)

Kidneys (bed-wetting, blood in the urine and kidney failure)

Liver (Increased size,Gallstones and Gives yellow color to eyes and skin)

Brain (Stroke and headache)

HOW LONG DOES SOMEONE WITH THE DISEASE LIVE?

CAN HE/SHE HAS A PRODUCTIVE LIFE?

With good health care, many people who have sickle cell anemia can live productive lives. They can have reasonably good health much of the time and live until their forties or fifties, or longer.

If you have sickle cell anemia, it's important to:

• Adopt or maintain a healthy lifestyle
• Take steps to prevent and control complications
• Learn ways to cope with pain.

HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE SICKLE CELL ANIMIA?

ARE PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESENT THE ONLY GROUP AFFECTED?

It is most common in West and Central Africa where as many as 25% of the people have sickle cell trait and 1-2% of all babies are born with a form of the disease. In the United States there is a percentage about 270 million people which, 1,000 babies of that quantity are born with sickle cell disease each year. In contrast, Nigeria, with an estimated 1997 population of 90 million, 45,000-90,000 babies with sickle cell disease are born each year. Americans ans the caribeeans can reply that was the trasnatlantic treaty the cause of the disease, However, sicklecell disease had already spread from Africa to Southern Europe by the time of the slave trade, until now, across the world.

What is Sickle cell disease?

SICKLE CELL DISEASE:

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. In the people who have this disease is shown in red blood cells which contain mostly hemoglobin S, an abnormal type of hemoglobin. Sometimes these red blood cells become sickle-shaped (crescent shaped) and have difficulty passing through small blood vessels.When sickle-shaped cells block small blood vessels, less blood can reach the whole body, so the tissue that does not receive a normal blood flow will damaged.

WHAT CAUSE THIS DEASE AND HOW IS INHERITED?

WHAT IS IT'S TRAIT?

"If someone have any form of sickling disease is caused because, each parent must have an abnormal hemoglobin. One possibility is that each parent has sickle cell trait (AS). Another possibility is when one parent has the disease (SS) and the other parent has sickle cell trait (AS). In hemoglobin SC disease, one parent has sickle cell trait and the other parent has a different trait (hemoglobin C). In sickle beta-thalassemia, one parent has sickle cell trait (or sickle cell anemia) and the other parent carries the trait for beta thalassemia (or has thalassemia,major)."

http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/sicklecell/familyguide/questions.shtml

Sickle cell conditions are inherited from parents through genes. Genes contain messages that are passed on to the child through the mother's egg and the father's sperm. It is pretty much the same way as blood type, hair color and texture, eye color and other physical traits are inherited, but in this case the types of hemoglobin a person makes in the red blood cells depend upon what hemoglobin genes the person inherits from his or her parents. Like most genes, hemoglobin genes are inherited in two sets, one from each parent. When each parent has sickle cell trait, there is a one in four chance (25% chance) with every pregnancy that the baby could be born with sickle cell disease.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE THE TRAIT?

A blood test, followed by a laboratory technique called Hemoglobin Electrophoresis will determine the type of hemoglobin you have. When you pass an electric charge through a solution of hemoglobin, distinct hemoglobins move different distances, depending on their composition. This technique stay the difference between normal hemoglobin, Sickle hemoglobin , and other different kinds of hemoglobin .