Sickle cell anemia
Other Names for this Disease
- HbS disease
- Hemoglobin S Disease
- Sickling disorder due to hemoglobin S
On this page
Sickle cell anemia is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, which means that both copies of the gene in each cell have mutations. The parents of an individual with an autosomal recessive condition each carry one copy of the mutated gene, but they typically do not show signs and symptoms of the condition. In regards to sickle cell anemia, a person who carries one copy of the mutated gene is said to be a carrier for the condition, or to have sickle cell trait. When two people who are carriers of an autosomal recessive condition have a child, there is a 25% (1 in 4) chance that the child will have the condition, a 50% (1 in 2) chance that the child will be a carrier like each of the parents, and a 25% (1 in 4) chance that the child will not have the condition and not be a carrier.
Last updated: 12/14/2015
- Sickle cell disease. Genetics Home Reference. August 2012; http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/sickle-cell-disease. Accessed 12/14/2015.