What You Should Know About Sickle Cell Disease and Pregnancy

What should someone with sickle cell trait or sickle cell disease do if he or she is planning to have a baby? • A woman and her partner should get tested for SCT if they are planning to have a baby. • Testing is available at most hospitals or medical centers, from SCD community-based organizations, or at local health departments. • If a woman or her partner has SCT, a genetic counselor can provide additional information and further discuss the risks to their children. Will someone with sickle cell trait or sickle cell disease have a baby with sickle cell disease or sickle cell trait? • During pregnancy, prenatal testing can be done to find out if a baby will have SCD, SCT, or neither one. • The prenatal tests chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and amniocentesis often are used to find out if the baby will have the disease or carry the trait. These tests usually are conducted after the second month of pregnancy. Abstract source