According to the American Society of Hematology, 8-10% of African Americans have sickle cell trait. That’s between one and three million of us. Dr. Julie Panepinto, Director of the Division of Blood Diseases and Resources (DBDR) at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, explains what you need to know about having the trait and how it may impact your health.
What is Sickle Cell Trait?
“Sickle cell trait is when a person has one copy of the sickle cell gene passed down from one parent along with a normal hemoglobin gene (hemoglobin A) from the other parent.” Dr Panepinto explains. “People who have sickle cell trait are sometimes called carriers. A person who has sickle cell trait does not have sickle cell disease (SCD) or sickle cell anemia, but they can pass the sickle cell gene down to their children.” When two parents with the trait have children, there is a 25% chance their child will have SCD.
About the Screening Processing
Anyone Black person born in the United States before 1975 had no idea whether they had sickle cell trait at birth because testing was not standard. New York State was the first partner in the Sickle Cell Initiative, and now the heel test is done by all states. “Within the first 24 to 48 hours after birth, babies undergo a heel stick, and a few drops of blood are collected on a special paper card. Newborn screening laboratories test the blood samples for various conditions that can be detected at birth, including sickle cell trait and SCD,” Panepinto says. “A positive newborn screening test means your baby likely has the condition reported, but you need more testing by your baby’s doctor to know for sure. Testing of parents may also be recommended.”
Living With Sickle Cell Trait
According to Dr. Panepinto, most people with sickle cell trait don’t have serious medical problems. “There are rare cases where some people with sickle cell trait can experience complications. Someone is more likely to have complications if their body needs more oxygen than usual, like if they are engaged in intense physical activity, dehydrated, active at high elevations, or in extreme temperatures (hot or cold),” she says. “Some people with sickle cell trait may experience damage to their kidneys or spleen.”
Dr. Panepinto’s best advice on staying healthy is to be proactive:
- Eat a healthy diet
- Exercise regularly
- Get enough sleep
- Do not smoke
- See your doctor regularly
Visit the NHLBI website to learn more about staying healthy while living with sickle cell trait: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sickle-cell-disease/sickle-cell-trait.
