Hemoglobin C Trait (AC) Hemoglobin Eletrophoresis and a Mean Corpuscular Volume

Inheritance Pattern for SHOULD WE, THE PARENTS, TAKE A BLOOD TEST? Sickle Cell Disease - SC Before you have your next baby, we suggest that you and Hemoglobin your partner get special blood test. We all have two sets of genes for hemoglobin. One set is passed on to the baby When one parent has sickle cell trait (AS) and the from each parent. The testing should include, at minimum, a C Trait (AC) other has hemoglobin C trait (AC) hemoglobin eletrophoresis and a mean corpuscular volume. A sickle solubility test (sickledex) is not sufficient! & Your Baby Only if both you and your partner are tested can you know their baby exactly what kind of hemoglobin condition your next child

A S may have A C could have. Look carefully at the inheritance pattern for the possibilities of having a baby with the SC form of sickle cell disease.

A A A counselor can tell you if any of your future children could have a form of sickle cell disease.

AA (normal hemoglobin) For more information or Contact your local SCDAA organization or other health

A C agency at:

AC (hemoglobin C trait) or

A S Or contact the SCDAA National Office at the address and AS (sickle cell trait) or telephone number below.

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S C

SC (a type of sickle cell disease) Register at www.getconnectedscd.com

It does not matter what their other babies have, their Sickle Cell Disease next one has the same four possibilities: AA, AC, AS, or SC. Association of America, Inc. 3700 Koppers Street, Suite 570 Baltimore, MD 21227 www.sicklecelldisease.org YOUR QUESTIONS

WILL HEMOGLOBIN C TRAIT MAKE MY HEMOGLOBIN C TRAIT- WHAT DOES THAT WHAT EXACTLY IS HEMOGLOBIN BABY SICK? REALLY MEAN? Hemoglobin is inside the red blood cells. It helps them carry No. Hemoglobin C Trait, "C trait" for short, is not an It means that your baby makes the usual hemoglobin called oxygen from the air in our lungs to all parts of the body. illness. Your baby will not have to get special medical care A and another hemoglobin called C in her red blood cells. Hemoglobin also gives blood its deep red color. because of C trait. Put the two together in a red blood cell and you have

YOU SAY C TRAIT IS NOT A PROBLEM. THEN hemoglobin C trait: A and C = AC. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT

WHY WAS MY BABY TESTED? Many African Americans have C trait. It is common in people HEMOGLOBIN C?

of African origin. It is also found in people of Mediterranean *Babies are tested to see if they have sickle cell disease. descent. Hemoglobin C acts differently than hemoglobin A. Red Your baby was tested to make sure that she did have not blood cells with mostly hemoglobin A inside are round and sickle cell disease. soft and squeeze through small blood vessels very easily.

WHAT IS SICKLE CELL DISEASE? But red blood cells with mostly hemoglobin C inside can become a little stiff. Such red cells break down slightly faster Sickle cell disease is a disease of red blood cells. People with than normal and cause a , or . sickle cell disease have red blood cells that become hard and mild anemia low blood count pointed instead of being soft and round. Sickle cells cause A child with C trait, AC, does not have enough hemoglobin anemia, pain and many other problems. C in her red blood cells to cause anemia.

WHY IS IT CALLED SICKLE CELL? HOW DOES A PERSON GET THE SC TYPE Many red blood cells in people with sickle cell disease look HOW DID MY BABY GET C TRAIT? OF SICKLE CELL DISEASE? like a sickle, a tool used by farmers. So, a red blood cell that She got or C trait the same way she got the color of The gene that causes sickle cell disease is called the looks like a sickle is called a sickle cell. inherited S her eyes, the shape of her nose and the texture of her hair. gene. If your baby got one C gene from one parent and the She got it through the genes that her mother and father S gene from the other parent she would have the SC type of passed on to her. Genes also tell the body what kind of blood sickle cell disease S and C = SC. to make. SC is a serious condition. Children who have it need special She got an abnormal gene for hemoglobin C from one of her medical care. The more common form of sickle cell disease Normal red cell A sickle Sickle cell parents and the normal genes for hemoglobin A from the is SS. other. CAN C TRAIT EVER TURN INTO SICKLE CELL SUPPOSE MY BABY GOT TWO WHY IS IT CALLED TRAIT? DISEASE OR CC? HEMOGLOBIN C GENES? COULD THAT is a common word for a condition where a person gets Trait HAPPEN? Never. A person's hemoglobin types are hers for life. They do an abnormal gene from one parent and the normal type of Yes. A baby who gets one from one parent and a not change. that gene from the other parent. If she gets the abnormal C gene second from the other has . This is as genes from both parents, she is said to have the disease. C gene CC not WHAT SHOULD I DO FOR MY BABY? common as SC.

Your baby does not need special medical care. Give her the CC is not a serious condition. However, special medical best care possible, not because she has C trait, but because *C trait is found equally in both boys and girls. To make this easy to care may be needed. read, we have used in this pamphlet. In other pamphlets . She needs love and good medical care to she and her she is your baby we have used he, his and him. grow up happy and healthy.