Sickle Cell Anemia: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment
Definition
What is sickle cell anemia (sickle cell anemia)?
Sickle cell anemia or sickle cell anemia is a type of anemia characterized by the shape of red blood cells that resemble a crescent moon. This condition occurs due to heredity. This means that the baby or child is at risk of developing this condition if one parent has a mutated gene to form sickle cells.
That is why, sickle cell anemia is categorized as a congenital condition or defect in newborns.
Sickle cell anemia or sickle cell anemia is a condition characterized by an abnormally shaped, crescent-like chip with a sticky, stiff texture.
Normal healthy red blood cells should be in the shape of a flat, round disc so that they can easily flow through the vessels. However, the sickle shape of this type of anemia allows the red blood cells to stick together and clog small blood vessels. The cell texture is stiff and sticky.
This condition can eventually stop the flow of blood that should be causing pain and damage to the baby’s organs.
The symptoms, causes, and medications for sickle cell anemia are detailed below.
How common is this condition?
There are quite a number of babies born with this congenital abnormality. Sickle cell anemia is a condition that is more common in people of a certain race or ethnicity.
These races or ethnicities include Africa, India, the Mediterranean, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the Caribbean, Central America and South America.
Signs & Symptoms
What are the signs and symptoms of sickle cell anemia (sickle cell anemia)?
Generally, the symptoms of each type of anemia are similar. However, there are some specific symptoms of sickle cell anemia, namely:
- Chronic anemia (chronic)
- Weak and tired
- Swelling of the hands and feet due to blocked blood vessels
- Eyes, skin, and lips are yellow
- Late growth
- Severe pain in the chest, abdominal area, joints and bones, which can last from hours to weeks
- Experiencing visual disturbances
- Recurrent infections in babies
MReporting from the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of sickle cell anemia usually only appear when a baby is around five months old.
There may be some signs and symptoms not listed above. If you are worried about a symptom your little one is experiencing, please consult a doctor.
When should I see a doctor?
Sickle cell anemia is usually diagnosed in infancy. You need to see a doctor if:
- Unexplained intense pain, such as pain in the abdomen, chest, bones, or joints
- Swelling of the hands or feet
- Swelling in the abdominal area, especially painful to touch
- Fever, babies with this condition have a higher risk of infection and fever is also an early sign of infection
- Pale skin
- Yellow or white skin in the eyes
- Some of the signs or symptoms of a stroke include:
- Numbness or weakness in any part of the face, arms, or legs
- Confusion
- Suddenly lost sight
If you see the baby has the symptoms above or other questions, consult a doctor immediately.
The health condition of each person’s body is different, including babies. Always consult a doctor in order to get the best treatment regarding the health condition of your baby.
Cause
What causes sickle cell anemia (sickle cell anemia)?
The cause of anemia is a lack of red blood cells. However, each type has a different underlying cause.
Sickle cell anemia occurs due to genetic defects in the genes that make up hemoglobin in the baby’s blood. Damage or mutation is passed from parent to child.
Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
The gene mutation causes hemoglobin (beta-globin protein) to mix with too much iron. When babies have sickle cell anemia, an abnormality in hemoglobin makes red blood cells stiff, sticky, and deformed.
The chances of a parent with sickle cell anemia giving birth to a healthy child are as follows:
- 25% chance a newborn baby does not develop this disease.
- 50% of children have hidden genetic factors, but the disease does not occur.
- 25% chance of children born having sickle cells.
A baby can develop this condition if it is born with two sickle cell genes that are inherited from both parents. If only one parent has it, your child will usually not show any symptoms and may act as a carrier (carrier).
For babies born with carriers, it is important to carry out health screening before marrying their partners as adults. This is to find out whether the partner has a carrier or not. This examination is useful for determining pregnancy planning and knowing the possibility of sickle cell anemia in the offspring.
Risk factors and complications
What increases the risk of developing this condition?
The only factors that increase the risk of sickle cells or sickle cell anemia is to have sickle cell offspring.
A parent who has sickle cell indicates that he has normal hemoglobin and a sickle cell gene. As a result, the blood has normal and abnormal hemoglobin.
Even if the child appears healthy, there is still a 25 percent chance of carrying sickle cell traits.
Complications
What are the risks of complications from sickle cell anemia?
The deformity can make it difficult for red blood cells to move through the blood vessels. These abnormally shaped red blood cells can slow or stop the flow of blood and oxygen to all parts of the body.
This condition can lead to damage to tissues and organs due to not getting enough blood intake. In severe cases, this condition can lead to strokes and heart attacks.
Babies who experience sickle cell anemia You may also experience swelling in the hands and feet and have a decreased body’s ability to fight infection.
Complications from this type of anemia also include kidney and eye disease, stroke, and infections such as osteomyelitis or pneumonia. In severe cases, the baby’s bone marrow may also stop producing red blood cells.
Diagnosis & treatment
The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.
What are the most common tests to diagnose this disease?
The way to diagnose sickle cell anemia is different from the general way of diagnosing anemia. The doctor will diagnose the presence of sickle cells based on the medical records on the examination of the baby and its family members. Usually, doctors can also do blood tests to look for sickle cells and hemoglobin mutations.
Babies will be diagnosed from the start if they get blood tests from birth.
A test to detect the sickle cell gene before birth
Sickle cell disease can be diagnosed from an unborn baby by taking a sample of some of the fluid that surrounds the baby in the mother’s womb (amniotic fluid). It looks for the sickle cell gene.
If you or your partner have been diagnosed with sickle cell anemia, ask your doctor if you should consider this screening. Ask for a referral to a genetic counselor who can help you understand the risk to your baby.
What are my treatment options for sickle cell anemia (sickle cell anemia)?
Sickle cells may not be completely treatable. Treatment is generally aimed at controlling symptoms and relieving pain.
If your little one is experiencing excessive pain and medicines are ineffective, the doctor may provide pain relief in the form of anemia treatment.
The drug hydroxyurea, for example, can help reduce the number of sickle cells in the blood. This medication also lowers the chance of complications as well as worse health conditions.
Blood transfusions and stem cell transplantation it can also be used by doctors as a treatment for sickle cell anemia in infants and children.
Home remedies
What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies that can be done to treat this condition?
The following lifestyle changes and home remedies can help you cope sickle cell anemia and prevent anemia from getting worse are as follows:
- Drink lots of water to prevent the baby from becoming dehydrated.
- Have a diet for anemia with lots of folate-rich green vegetables. You should take folate every day.
- Light exercise to increase endurance.
- Perform infant immunization as recommended by your doctor.
- Do not travel in an airplane without a pressurized chamber.
- Don’t abuse painkillers. You should only drink as prescribed and always consult a doctor before giving medications to babies and children
If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.
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