SICKLE CELL DISEASE AMONG CHILDREN: CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES

Sickle cell disease was first recognized in 1910 and identified as a genetic condition in 1949. However, there is not a universal/clinical registry that can be used currently to estimate it’s prevalence. The sick cell disease, an early age genetic condition, encompasses a range of blood disorder with severe complications. This disease is characterized by the synthesis of abnormal hemoglobin molecules, which tend to polymerize due to their low solubility upon deoxygenation in the peripheral capillary beds resulting in sick-like red blood cells. Sick cells loss their normal functioning and hemodynamic properties, leading to chronic fatigue as well as to episodes of painful crises. Over the last two decades, a growing body of clinical evidence has pointed out that these somatic complaints can give rise to neuropsychiatric disorders, among which anxiety and depression are the most common.