HHSC Recognizes Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month in Texas

National Sickle Cell Awareness Month and Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month in Texas in September call attention to a group of inherited red blood cell disorders known as sickle cell disease.

In Texas, approximately one out of every 2,000 newborns has sickle cell disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that sickle cell disease affects around 100,000 people in the United States.

With sickle cell disease, red blood cells become hard and sticky, looking like a C-shaped farm tool called a "sickle." Typical red blood cells are round and carry oxygen through small blood vessels, but sickle cells have trouble passing through these vessels. The shape also blocks typical red blood cells from entering tissue. As a result, complications of sickle cell disease include anemia, vision loss, chronic pain, infection, blood clots and stroke.

In Texas, about 6,000 babies are born with a sickle cell trait each year, meaning they inherited one sickle cell gene and one typical gene. If both parents have a sickle cell trait (each has one sickle cell gene), the odds of having a child with sickle cell disease is 25%, and the odds of having a child with a sickle cell trait is 50%.

In rare cases, people with a sickle cell trait can experience symptoms similar to sickle cell disease. When people with a sickle cell trait overexert themselves, red blood cells can change to a sickle shape and cause a disruption in blood flow, physical distress, a collapse or even death.

Sickle cell disease gets worse over time, but treatment can decrease complications and improve quality of life.

The symptoms of sickle cell disease usually start when an infant is around 5 months old. An early diagnosis through the Texas Newborn Screening Program can help parents get the information and health care needed for their child.

To screen for sickle cell disease, blood samples are collected from a heel stick done 24 to 48 hours after birth and again at one to two weeks old. The samples are sent to the Department of State Health Services laboratory for processing.

"Sickle Cell Disease Awareness and newborn screening are both powerful tools to help ensure early diagnosis and education, empowering families with the knowledge and resources to manage this lifelong condition effectively," said André Harris, a member of the Texas Sickle Cell Task Force who is also living with sickle cell disease.

To learn more, visit the DSHS and CDC webpages on sickle cell disease.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.