Guidance

Baby at risk of having sickle cell disease: description in brief

Information to help healthcare professionals speak with parents at risk of having a child with sickle cell disease.

• From: NHS England
• Published: 1 January 2014
• Last updated: 5 February 2025
  Show all updates

  1. 5 February 2025

     Updated NHS England contact information

  2. 12 January 2021

     Updated information and reformatted as HTML publication

  3. 19 April 2018

     Updated with new statement on use of personal data and copyright.

  4. 17 July 2017

     Updated version of leaflet.

  5. 1 January 2014

     First published.

Documents

Information and choices for women and couples at risk of having a baby with sickle cell disease

HTML

Details

This publication explains the risks of a baby having sickle cell disease when both parents carry an unusual haemoglobin gene, at least one of which is sickle cell.

It includes information about:

• what sickle cell disease is
• the different conditions the baby might inherit
• diagnostic testing for sickle cell
• treatment options
• having another baby