“How do you treat children with sickle cell anemia?”

Depending on the type of sickle cell anemia, there are differences in how to treat this blood disorder. The most important thing is to call and go to the emergency room if your child has a fever because sickle cell patients cannot fight bacteria as well, and can get very sick very quickly. Doctors typically have patients with sickle cell anemia on penicillin for this reason. It is important to monitor for signs of pain, stroke, enlarged belly, jaundice and call the doctor with any of these concerns. And then you should discuss with your doctor about therapies such as hydroxyurea, chronic blood transfusions and indications for bone marrow transplant and other therapies.

Bonnie W. Lau, MD, PhD