What is the Difference Between Sickle Cell Disease and Sickle Cell Anemia?
Sickle cell anemia refers to the specific and most common type of sickle cell disease where a child has inherited two genes that produce an abnormal hemoglobin called “S” hemoglobin (“SS” disease). There are several other, less common types of sickle cell disease where one gene produces “S” hemoglobin and the other gene produces “C” hemoglobin (SC disease) or a “beta-thalassemia” type of hemoglobin (“S-beta thalassemia”). Taken all together, all of these conditions are referred to as sickle cell disease. Your child will have inherited only one of these types. It is important for you to know which one. Your doctor can explain this to you. Is Sickle Cell Disease a Common Disease? Sickle cell disease is a common, life-threatening disease. Each year in the United States, about one in 400 African-American infants are born with sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease also occurs in children from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. The most common type of sickle cell disease is sickle cell
