Signs & Symptoms of Sickle Cell Anemia in Children

Sickle cell anemia is a blood disorder that is genetically passed to offspring. Children who are affected by the genetic mutation show signs of the disorder as infants. Sickle cell anemia is a painful disease, clogging areas in the arteries with malformed red blood cells. These red blood cells are not spherical like normal cells. Instead, these cells form a "sickle" shape, which limits the cell's ability to pick up oxygen in the lungs and distribute it throughout the body.

Anemia

Because the red blood cells are malformed, the blood cell dies early in a child with sickle cell anemia. Normal red blood cells survive for approximately 120 days in the body. Once the cell dies, new red blood cells are created in the bone marrow. In patients with sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells die within a few weeks, leaving the child without enough cells. Without enough red blood cells, the tissue does not receive enough oxygen, which shows up in diagnostic tests as anemia. Anemia can also be detected as chronic fatigue.

Pain

The most difficult part of sickle cell anemia is pain. The pain comes abruptly and lasts a few minutes to a few days. The pain is caused by the blockage in the capillaries in the areas of the chest, abdomen, legs or arms. The blockage of the capillaries reduces blood flow, and these areas may become inflamed and cause pain. The frequency of pain is also variable. The pain may occur several times a year or very rarely.

Jaundice

Jaundice is a symptom of poor liver function. The liver is responsible for recycling old red blood cells. Because patients with sickle cell anemia have rapidly dying red blood cells, the liver is overworked. The increased filtering of red blood cells limits the liver's ability to remove other toxic waste from the body. The result is a yellowing of the skin called jaundice. Jaundice is seen on the skin and white areas of the eyes.

Infection

People who do not have proper blood circulation are more susceptible to disease. Children are naturally more susceptible to disease, so sickle cell anemia greatly increases an infant's or child's chance for infection. Doctors may prescribe antibiotics as a preventative measure for disease. Children who have sickle cell anemia are also smaller, because the disease inhibits growth.

Vision Loss

Red blood cells also supply the retina of the eye with oxygen. The vessels around the eye are small, so sickle cell anemia may cause clogging of the retinal blood vessels. The blockage causes the retina cells to die. The process causes vision loss in children with sickle cell anemia.

References

• MayoClinic