HealthWise KnowledgeBase
Sickle Cell Test
What To Think About
- Most states routinely do a sickle cell blood test on all newborns.
- If you have a family history of sickle cell disease, you may be advised to have a blood test to determine whether you carry the sickle cell trait. If you have sickle cell trait or sickle cell disease, you may choose Reference genetic counseling Opens New Window before deciding to have children.
- Testing is available to check for sickle cell disease in an unborn baby (Reference fetus Opens New Window). This can be done through Reference amniocentesis Opens New Window or Reference chorionic villus sampling (CVS) Opens New Window. For more information, see the topics Reference Amniocentesis and Reference Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS).
- Babies younger than 6 months of age may have false-negative results because they have more hemoglobin F (fetal hemoglobin) in their blood.
- In the United States, sickle cell disease mainly affects African Americans and Latin Americans.
| By: | Reference Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: Reference October 1, 2012 |
| Medical Review: | Reference E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Reference Martin Steinberg, MD - Hematology |
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