HealthWise KnowledgeBase
Sickle Cell Disease
Cause
Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder, passed from parent to child. Children with sickle cell disease have two defective Reference hemoglobin Opens New Window S Reference genes Opens New Window, one from each parent. Various forms of Reference sickle cell disorder occur when a person inherits one hemoglobin S gene (sickle cell gene) from one parent and one other type of defective Reference hemoglobin Opens New Window gene from the other parent.
Normally, a person inherits two genes that tell the body to produce normal hemoglobin A. One gene comes from each parent. People who inherit one defective hemoglobin S gene and one normal hemoglobin A gene have Reference sickle cell trait Opens New Window. These people don't have symptoms of sickle cell disease, and their bodies don't make sickled blood cells. But they can pass the defective hemoglobin S gene to their children.
| 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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