SpagnoliS+Sickle+Cell+Disease

Sickle Cell Disease **Description: ** Sickle Cell disease is simply a disorder that affects a protein in the red blood cells. The disorder changes the shapes of the cells to make them irregular. The irregular cells would get stuck in blood vessels, and it would make them unable to transport oxygen effectively to the organs. This causes damages and pain to the organs.

**Inheritance: **Sickle Cell disease is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. That means that children could not inherit this disease unless both parents pass a defective gene. The allele for the sickle cell trait is co-dominate with the normal allele. Those who inherit one good copy of the gene and one mutated copy are carriers. The carriers are clinically normal, but still pass the gene to children.

**Symptoms: ** Frequent infections Weak immune system Crises Delayed growth Strokes Yellow hue to skin and eyes

**Daily Life: ** Your voki will be inserted here to explain the day in the life of a person with this disorder (centered)

**Diagnosis: **Sickle Cell disease could be found by a simple blood test in newborns. A blood sample could easily be used to check if they are carriers or if they have the disease.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Treatment: ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">Babies and young children with this disease must take a daily dose of penicillin to prevent infections that could be deadly. They also take folic acid to help build new red blood cells. Doctors also advise patients with Sickle cell disease to drink lots of water, avoid too much physical activity and to get plenty of rest. These patients also can get a blood transfusion to provide healthy blood.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Research: ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">Research done by the Sickle cell society conducted that massages help pain relief from the crises. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">They say that the pain is most common in the bones of the chest, back, jaw, legs, arms and abdomen. They also say in less severe cases of crises oxygen therapy helps.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Additional Facts: ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">Sickle shaped cells live only 10 to 20 days unlike normal blood cells that live 120 days. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">Sickle cell disease is most common in African americans.1 in 500 African American babies are born with sickle cell disease.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Punnett Square: ** **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Pedigree Chart: ** **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Resources: **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 115%;">Include hyperlink to websites that you used as part of your research **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 115%;">. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 115%;">Pub Med Health