Prevention of Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle cell anemia, or sickle cell disease, is a blood disorder in which red blood cells become sickle-shaped as a result of defective hemoglobin. Since sickle cell anemia is inherited, prevention of the disease is only possible before birth. Prevention efforts include education, sickle cell trait testing, a type of in-vitro fertilization and prenatal testing.

Sickle Cell Anemia vs. Sickle Cell Trait

• An essential part of preventing sickle cell anemia is becoming educated about how the disease is inherited. As the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute explains, sickle cell anemia only affects people with two copies of the sickle cell gene. People with only one copy of the sickle cell gene have sickle cell trait, a condition that does not typically cause the symptoms of sickle cell anemia. People with sickle cell trait, however, can pass the sickle cell gene to their children.

At-Risk Groups

• According to MedlinePlus, in the United States sickle cell trait is most common in African-Americans. About one in 12 of African-Americans have sickle cell trait. Other groups at risk for sickle cell trait include people whose ancestors are from the Mediterranean, the Middle East, South or Central America or the Caribbean.

Sickle Cell Anemia in Your Children

• As the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute explains, sickle cell anemia can only occur when two people with sickle cell trait have a child. Finding out whether you or your partner has sickle cell trait is easy; according to the CDC, the condition can be diagnosed with a simple blood test. If neither of you carries the sickle cell gene, or if only one of you does, you will not have any children with sickle cell anemia. If both of you have sickle cell trait, however, there is a 25 percent chance that you will have a baby with sickle cell anemia, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

In-Vitro Fertilization

• If you and your partner aren't quite comfortable with the 25 percent statistic but don't want to abstain from reproducing entirely, a type of in-vitro fertilization called preimplantation genetic diagnosis can increase your likelihood of conceiving a baby without sickle cell anemia, according to the Mayo Clinic. In the lab, the woman's eggs are fertilized with the man's sperm. The fertilized eggs are then tested for the sickle cell gene. Only eggs without the sickle cell gene are implanted in the uterus. The procedure is costly, however, and does not always produce successful results.

Testing During Pregnancy

• According to the CDC, any baby who might be at risk for sickle cell anemia can be tested for the disease prior to birth. Testing is usually done sometime after the second month of pregnancy. If you are interested in preventing sickle cell anemia in your children, sickle cell testing results may influence your decision to continue with the pregnancy.