Sickle Cell Trait

What is sickle cell trait?

Sickle cell trait is not the same as sickle cell disease. If your child has sickle cell trait, it means that he or she has one abnormal gene that causes sickle cell disease. For someone to have sickle cell disease, the person needs 2 abnormal sickle cell genes. About 2.5 million Americans have sickle cell trait.

Having sickle cell trait does not cause symptoms or other problems that occur with sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell disease causes red blood cells to be crescent, or sickle-shaped, instead of round. Sickle cell disease can be very painful and can cause many medical problems.

How do you get sickle cell trait?

Children inherit sickle cell genes from their parents, just like the genes for eye color, hair color and other traits. The gene for hemoglobin is responsible for sickle cell disease. Hemoglobin is a chemical in red blood cells that helps carry oxygen to the body. Every person has two genes for hemoglobin. One gene is inherited from the mother and one from the father. Hemoglobin genes are usually normal, but can sometimes be the sickle type of hemoglobin gene.

If your child has sickle cell trait, it means he has inherited one sickle hemoglobin gene from one parent. This means that at least one parent also has the sickle hemoglobin gene.

Why is it important to know if my child has sickle cell trait?

Although having sickle cell trait won't affect your child today, it may affect your child when he or she grows up and decides to become a parent. When both parents have a sickle cell gene, there is a 1 in 4 chance that their baby will have sickle cell disease.

How do I find out if my child has sickle cell trait?

A blood test called a hemoglobin electrophoresis is able to tell if a child has sickle cell trait. Other tests may help to confirm the diagnosis. Testing for sickle cell trait is now a part of the newborn screening tests that are done in every state.

If you discover that your child has sickle cell trait, you and your spouse may want to be tested to see if just one or both of you has the sickle cell gene before having more children.