When Your Child Has Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle cell anemia is a problem passed down through genes. It affects the red blood cells (RBCs). RBCs have a protein called hemoglobin that lets them carry oxygen through the body. With sickle cell anemia, a problem with the hemoglobin causes the cells to be C-shaped (like a sickle) instead of round. As a result, the cells can't move easily through the smallest blood vessels.