Sickle cell anemia can be reduced in infants
Your child's health is clearly your priority as a parent. Therefore, you and your partner need to be vigilant because some diseases can be transmitted from parents to their babies, such as sickle cell disease.
Sickle cell anemia causes abnormal red blood cells in infants. This condition can even cause various symptoms and serious complications if not treated immediately.
Sickle cell anemia causes abnormal red blood cells in infants. This condition can even cause various symptoms and serious complications if not treated immediately.
What is sickle cell anemia?
Sickle cell disease is a type of hereditary anemia. Sickle cell anemia occurs when the fetus has two inherited sickle cell genes (one each). If one gene for sickle cell disease is inherited, this disease will not occur.
Infants with sickle cell anemia do not have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. Red blood cells have a sickle shape, stiff and sticky, which allows them to remain trapped in small blood vessels.
This condition can certainly inhibit or slow down the flow of blood and oxygen throughout the baby's body. Although normal, red blood cells are round and can easily move through blood vessels.
The cause of sickle cell disease in infants is a mutation in the gene that regulates the formation of red blood cells. This congenital genetic disease also makes a baby's red blood cells crescent-shaped and easily damaged.
You should know that normal red blood cells can last up to 120 days before being replaced. However, sickle red blood cells usually die within 10 to 20 days.
Sickle cell disease is a type of hereditary anemia. Sickle cell anemia occurs when the fetus has two inherited sickle cell genes (one each). If one gene for sickle cell disease is inherited, this disease will not occur.
Infants with sickle cell anemia do not have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. Red blood cells have a sickle shape, stiff and sticky, which allows them to remain trapped in small blood vessels.
This condition can certainly inhibit or slow down the flow of blood and oxygen throughout the baby's body. Although normal, red blood cells are round and can easily move through blood vessels.
The cause of sickle cell disease in infants is a mutation in the gene that regulates the formation of red blood cells. This congenital genetic disease also makes a baby's red blood cells crescent-shaped and easily damaged.
You should know that normal red blood cells can last up to 120 days before being replaced. However, sickle red blood cells usually die within 10 to 20 days.
Various symptoms of sickle cell disease in infants
In the early stages of birth, the baby has no symptoms of sickle cell disease because hemoglobin is produced while remaining in fetal form protecting the red blood cells from the disease. However, over time, this fetal hemoglobin no longer exists in the baby's red blood cells. Sickle cells appear and symptoms begin.
Symptoms of sickle cell disease usually appear from 4 to 6 months. This disease has symptoms that vary depending on the severity. Common symptoms that occur in infants, namely:
In the early stages of birth, the baby has no symptoms of sickle cell disease because hemoglobin is produced while remaining in fetal form protecting the red blood cells from the disease. However, over time, this fetal hemoglobin no longer exists in the baby's red blood cells. Sickle cells appear and symptoms begin.
Symptoms of sickle cell disease usually appear from 4 to 6 months. This disease has symptoms that vary depending on the severity. Common symptoms that occur in infants, namely:
- Easily angry and feeling tired
- Fussy
- Frequent urination due to kidney problems
- Jaundice that is yellowing the skin and the whites of a baby's eyes
- The feet and hands become swollen and sore
- Frequent infections
- Pain in the chest, back, arms or legs
- fever
- Stomach upset
Apart from symptoms, sickle cell disease can also cause serious complications if sickle cells clog arteries in various parts of the body. This disease is called a sickle cell crisis which can be triggered by various conditions, such as illness, stress, temperature changes, poor hydration, and height. With regard to the types of sickle cell disease complications that may occur in infants, these include:
- Severe anemia
- Renewal rate
- Slow growth because it does not get enough oxygen and nutrients
- Neurological complications, such as seizures due to blockage of blood vessels in the brain
- Blindness due to blockage of blood vessels in the eye
- Heart disease and acute chest syndrome
- Pulmonary hypertension
If your baby has symptoms of sickle cell disease, you should immediately consult your doctor. The doctor will make a diagnosis and determine the right treatment for your baby to avoid complications.
How to treat sickle cell disease in infants?
By controlling sickle cell anemia in your baby, you should consult a doctor. The only medicine to cure sickle cell disease is bone marrow transplantation. This procedure is only recommended for severe patients who are at high risk and complicated.
However, many treatments can help relieve symptoms, reduce complications and prolong the life of sickle cell anemia sufferers. This treatment includes:
- Antibiotics to prevent infection
- Immunizations and daily doses of penicillin to help prevent infections
- Folic acid supplements that can help make new red blood cells
- Hydroxyurea, a drug that reduces the stickiness of sickle cell disease to reduce symptoms and complications
- Medication for pain
- Blood transfusion if severe anemia or other complications
Although to prevent sickle cell disease in infants, in fact there is no sure way because this genetic disease is hereditary.
However, there are several ways to prevent your baby from suffering from a sickle cell crisis, for example, to avoid extreme temperature changes, not taking it with a sick person, encouraging him to drink lots of breast milk or for baby formula, wash your hands with soap before touching it, clean it baby's hand, and keep the baby from exposure to cigarette smoke.
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