Sickle Cell Anemia is a health problem throughout the world. More than 250,000 babies are born worldwide with this inherited blood cell disorder. The disorder causes red blood cells to extend into a sickle shape, which clogs the arteries. Persistent pain and life-threatening infections result from the illness. About one in 400 African American newborns in the U.S. have sickle cell anemia. And one in 12 African Americans carry the sickle cell trait. This leaves a good chance that the parent with the trait can pass the defect onto offspring although their own health is not harmed.

The cause of sickle cell anemia is rather simple but it leaves a life affect. Anyone who carries the inherited trait for sickle cell anemia, but doesn't have the disorder, is actually protected from a severe form of malaria. This helped the children in countries where malaria was a problem, to be able to survive against that disease. What happened to those children? They grew up, had their own children and ended u

The other difference between the two cells is their longevity. Sickle cells do not live as long as normal cells. Normal healthy cells can survive for about 120 days, while the more fragile sickle cells can survive for about 60 days or even less. The body cannot make new red blood cells as fast as it loses sickled blood cells. A sickle cell patient has fewer red blood cells and less hemoglobin than normal red blood cells. This results in less oxygen being convenient for use by the cells of the body.

Anyone whose parent has the gene for sickle cell anemia the child the chance of at least having sickle cell trait. In order for a child to have the disease, both parents must have the sickle cell gene. The disease affects mostly African Americans in Africa, South America, Latin America, the West Indies, Greece, Spain, Italy, and Turkey.

Currently, there is no cure for Sickle Cell Anemia. But the doctors do offer a treatment that helps control this disease. Pain medication, antibiotics, rest and high fluid intakes are all treatments for aspects of sickle cell anemia. There are also experimental therapies that are available to some patients. The drug hydroxyurea is a treatment that reduced 50% the frequency of painful episodes and hospital visits. Of Preventive administration penicillin to affected children by the age of four months greatly decreases mortality from infections.

Sickle hemoglobin and normal hemoglobin carry the same amount of oxygen but there are two major differences between the two kinds of cells. The normal hemoglobin is found in

Some common words found in the essay are:
African Americans, Italy Turkey, Cell Anemia, sickle cell, red blood, blood cells, sickle cell anemia, cell anemia, red blood cells, African American, blood cell, Sickle Cell, red blood cell, blood cells sickle, blood vessels, sickle cells, cells sickle, normal hemoglobin, sickle cell trait, sickle shape,
Approximate Word count = 1051
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)