Sharon has dealt with the pain all her life. In fact, she still had a sickle cell crisis a few weeks before the pregnancy test results came in positive.
Women like Sharon often wonder how to deal with pregnancy due to the risks associated with their genotype. Thankfully, due to the major advancements in medicine, it has become possible for women with Sickle Cell Disease to triumph through pregnancy and delivery process.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited genetic condition in which the body produces abnormally shaped red blood cells under stressful conditions. These abnormal red blood cells can be C-shaped or sickle-shaped. They have a high tendency to stick to each other.
They also aren’t as flexible as the normal shaped cells making it difficult to navigate tight corners in tiny or branching blood vessels and so on.
These cause blockages cutting off blood supply to areas where the vesses were orignally headed.
This is the cause of the excruciating pain and damage to tissues and organs that have their oxygen supply cut off. Such events are the cause of strokes bone infections and and so on.
Living with sickle cell disease means that you will need special care and attention during your months of pregnancy. You will also need to maintain a good diet and stay hydrated in order to stay healthy. When you are ready, your pregnancy needs to be planned for. You should be managed at a specialised center by a team of health personnel such as – blood specialists (haematologists), obstetricians etc.
A few tips…
You can have a healthy pregnancy and a safe delivery even with SCD.
Follow your doctor’s guide and instructions. Be sure to be in close and frequent communication with your doctor while pregnant. This will help in close monitoring of your health and early detection of any complication that may want to arise.
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