All babies to receive sickle cell screening

All babies in England are to undergo screening for sickle cell blood disorders within two weeks of birth.

The test, which will be part of the standard heel-prick test, will both identify individuals with the disorder as well as those who carry the gene for the disease but do not suffer from it.

Sickle cell disorders affect the body's ability to transport oxygen around the body. Red blood cells, which contain an oxygen-carrying protein called haemoglobin, are usually rounded, but in sickle cell disorders, the red blood cells take on an elongated shape, which makes it harder for them to travel through blood vessels and deliver oxygen to the body's tissues. Over time, organ damage can result.

While sickle cell disorder is most common in people of African and Caribbean descent, it can affect anyone. Around 13,000 people in England have the disorder, with another 240,000 people identified as carriers, and it is thought that early screening will help to identify around 300 babies a year, helping to prevent the risk of these infants developing serious complications.

It is also possible that screening could be extended to all pregnant women, with a blood test offered in early pregnancy to check for sickle cell disorders. If a woman is found to be a carrier, then the father will also be offered testing – and at-risk couples will be offered a range of counselling and diagnostic services. If both parents are carriers, there is a one-in-four risk of their baby developing the disorder.

(CL)