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Prevention

Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder that is common among African Americans. If you have sickle cell disease, you received the gene from each of your parents. If you received the gene from just one parent, you are a carrier. Genetic counseling and testing can give you information about the likelihood that you might pass on this gene to your children.

• Prevention of infection
  
  
  • Infants and young children are at greatly increased risk of becoming infected with severe types of bacterial infections. Because of this increased risk, infants with sickle cell disease are placed on daily penicillin therapy until at least aged 5 years.
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  • It is also extremely important that infants receive all their immunizations on schedule to prevent these life-threatening infections.
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• Subjecting yourself to conditions in which the oxygen concentration in the air is low may worsen sickling. This may include traveling in unpressurized airplanes or going to high altitudes.