Science
Mr.Barret
Ghada Al Maadeed
7/12/2011
Science
Mr.Barret
Ghada Al Maadeed
7/12/2011
Sickle cell anemia and reproductive choices for people who
have inherited diseases.
Reproduction is a miracle of life in nine times out of ten the infant that is produced is
normal however for a small percentage of babies that are born with genetic mutations
such as sickle cell anemia which is inherited through the genetic material of the parents it
can have devastating effect on their life.
For those infants that have sickle cell disease and who survive into
adulthood there is an ethical and moral dilemma when it comes to
making reproduction choices. Any person who has survived a genetic
disease is also faced with this dilemma. If they reproduce they will
knowingly pass the genetic mutant gene to their children.
In the ethical context of inherited diseases such as sickle cell disease it
is important to understand the psychology of carriers of such diseases and how they deal
with making fundamental discussions concerning reproduction. The reason for doing so
would be to enable the carriers to make informed reproductive decisions in order that
programs can be adopted such as screening, testing and partner choice could be
developed in order to make the reproductive choices less stressful. 1
Science
7/12/2011
Mr.Barret
Ghada Al Maadeed
Sickle cell is an inherited disease. There are a variety of different types of Sickle cell
disease namely sickle Cell Anemia (SS), Sickle-Hemoglobin C Disease (SC), and sickle
Beta-Plus Thalassemia and Sickle Beta-Zero Thalassemia.3
It is inherited for example if one parent has Sickle Cell Anemia and the other is Normal,
all of the children will have sickle cell genes in them. Or if one parent has Sickle Cell
Anemia and the other has Sickle Cell gene, there is a 50% chance (or 1 out of 2) of
having a baby with either sickle cell disease or sickle cell gene with each pregnancy.
Finally when both parents have Sickle Cell genes, they have a 25% chance (1 of 4) of
having a baby with sickle cell disease with each pregnancy.1
It is a blood disorder that affects red blood cells. The genetic disorder affects the red
blood cells and the hemoglobin “s” which is the mutated abnormal faulty hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin helps the red blood cells to carry oxygen from the air to the lungs and than
it is carried to the whole body. Normal red blood cells have normal Hemoglobin type “a”.
In sickle cell disease have genetic mutants that are
damaged hemoglobin type “ c and s “.These red
blood cells become sickle shape and look like a
crescent shaped moon. These damaged red blood
cells have difficulty passing through the small blood
vessels. 2
Science
7/12/2011
Mr.Barret
Ghada Al Maadeed
These sickle shaped cells block small blood vessels, which slows down reducing the
amount of blood that each part of the body gets. Tissue and organs that do not get the
right amount of blood becomes damaged. This is when the sufferer feels pain. There is no
cure for sickle cell disease and it mostly affects people of African descent. 3
The reproductive issue arises when a person with a genetic history of sickle cell disease is
found to be a carrier. This is known as sickle cell trait. It is inherited and the person or
carrier is perfectly healthy.
But they are carriers and produce both hemoglobin A and S in the red blood cells. Here
the sickle cell is inherited as the hemoglobin in a person makes in the red blood cell
depend on the genes that contain the DNA for the hemoglobin. Just as we inherit hair
color, skin and personality traits from our parent’s sickle cell is an inherited disease
locked away in the DNA history of the parents.3
There are many medical problems with this inherited disease. The disease causes
anemia, jaundice and gallstones because the sickle cells are destroyed very quickly. 2
They block the flow of oxygenated blood to the tissue which results in organ failure
damage to the tissue in the lungs, acute chest pain, pain like cramps in the arms, legs and
chest leading to fatal strokes. Damage is done to all the major organs including the
spleen, kidneys and liver.3
Science
7/12/2011
Mr.Barret
Ghada Al Maadeed
.All people have the basic right to reproduce but when a person is in a high risk group
such as a carrier of a genetic disease than they should make an informed decision about
their reproduction choices. Genetic counseling and genetic screening is a necessity
because as with all inherited genetic disorders there are a variety of health issues that
have to be factored in. In any high-risk group people who are 4 thinking about starting a
family should be made aware of the probability of significant chances of them
reproducing a child that would have or be a carrier of sickle cell disease. A simple blood
test is sufficient to find the genotype of the patient and their partner. All knowledge
should be given by trained health care counselors that will provide all the relevant
knowledge so that the carriers can make an informed choice on the potential hazards of
producing a child that will have inherited the genetic disorder.2
It is one of those medical ethical dilemmas that brings into the debate of euthanasia and
eugenics and echoes of the Nazi party’s selection of the survival of the fittest and keeping
the human pure and free of inherited diseases. The reality is anyone who is a sufferer of
sickle cell disease would not wish to put the suffering on their offspring. With screening
and genetic counseling it is possible for reproduction to occur. It is a basic fundamental
right that a person who is a carrier of a genetic disease can have offspring but with
guidance and support.
Science
Mr.Barret
Ghada Al Maadeed
7/12/2011
Bibliography:
1- "Reproductive Decisions in People With Sickle Cell Disease or Sickle Cell Trait."
BioPortfolio - the Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical, Life-Science and Healthcare Portal.
Web. 07 Dec. 2011.
<http://www.bioportfolio.com/resources/pmarticle/44199/Reproductive-Decisions-InPeople-With-Sickle-Cell-Disease-Or-Sickle-Cell-Trait.html>.
2- "Sickle Cell Anemia - PubMed Health." Web. 07 Dec. 2011.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001554/>.
3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_reproduction_and_DNA_replication:_Point_mutati
onCellular reproduction and DNA replication: Point mutation
4- "Outpatient Management of Sickle Cell Disease." Information Center for Sickle Cell
and Thalassemic Disorders. Web. 07 Dec. 2011.
<http://sickle.bwh.harvard.edu/outpatient.html>.
Science
Mr.Barret
Ghada Al Maadeed
7/12/2011