SICKLE CELL DISEASE

It is a harmless carrier state in which you have a normal HbA gene and an abnormal HbS gene giving HbAS. It causes no illness.

If both parents are HbAS then there is a 25 percent chance of them having a baby with full-blown sickle cell disease with each pregnancy.

How Common Is The Trait?

In Barbados it affects 4% of our population, this is lower than other Caribbean islands like Jamaica where 10 percent of the population is affected. In Africa and Mediterranean countries the trait can be as high as 20-40 percent of the population.

Do You Have The Trait?

To detect this one needs a special blood test called Haemoglobin electrophoresis which you can arrange with you doctor.

information by:-
Dr. Cheryl Alexis
The Specialist Centre
Black Rock, St. Michael, Barbados